Prisoner of fate
by Laudys
Summary: They should have never been together and, however, the Rebellion is gonna unite them forever... OC included.
1. Chapter 1

_**275 AC**_

« Lord Hoster ! »

The maester rushes out of the room : lord Hoster Tully is here, waiting, with his brother Brynden. The castle is silent, but when he gets in the room, he can hear whimpers. A fire is crackling in the chimney. Handmaids are taking care of a pink and whimpering baby. Hoster holds back a huge smile and turns proudly to his wife, Minisa. That's when he loses his smile. The handmaids rushes on and off her, putting towels under her. Towels that are stained with red. The more towels they place under her, the more they have to throw them away seconds later. Minisa, weakly, holds her hand at her husband. He sits by her, takes her soft hands and lays a long kiss on them.

"I… I think it's over…" she says, her pale face enlightened slightly by the red flames.

Hoster stares at her, unable to react: Minisa had always been pretty frail but she always gave birth bravely. He cannot resolve himself to think she is going to die now. They already been through this: she had already lost two sons, before Catelyn. Catelyn, who adores her mother. How is he going to cope with the children without her? He closes his eyes, chasing this thought off his mind. She cannot die. She cannot leave him alone. The baby starts crying, and he turns his face to it.

"It's a girl", she whispers weakly. "I wish it had been a son, but the Gods decided otherwise."

She tries to smile and winces, asks for water. A handmaid holds a cup for her and she drinks lengthily before leaning her head back on the pillow. Hoster looks back at her, remembering the first time he had seen her. How beautiful she was. She still is beautiful, even now, when she is so pale blood looks like it has been out of her, when her hair is spreading on the white pillow, messy hair, locks sticking to her brow because of sweat, when her eyes are losing little by little their shine. He tries to reassure her:

"I am happy as long as the baby is healthy."

It is a lie: he is not happy. He would give the baby's life for hers anytime.

"We need to find a name", she says, a smile roving on her lips.

The maester gives the baby to her and she holds her the best she can. She smiles warmly when she holds her:

"She has your eyes", she tells Hoster Tully.

He nods, unable to look at the baby. He should be celebrating now, not mourning over the dead of his wife.

"Where are the children?" she asks suddenly.

"In their rooms", Hoster replies.

"Please make them come. I want to see them one last time."

He nods and stands up, not able to argue. He sees her grabbing the blankets to hide the blood. His eyes filled with tears, he walks out the room. Brynden is here. He does not say a word to him, just walks to the children's rooms.

"What is it?" Brynden walks with him.

"She's dying", Hoster coldly says.

The two brothers have stopped being close as they used to be when they were children. Hoster had become the head of the house Tully and he has told his brother he had to marry. He tried to betroth him to several women, but Brynden always refused. He never gave reasons; he just didn't want to marry. Hoster had thought it was a real blow when he refused. Even if he was his brother, Brynden had to listen to him. And anyway, he does not want to think about Brynden now. He places a light knock on the children's door and opens the door: Catelyn is here, and the resemblance with her mother strikes Hoster in the guts. Lysa walks to them when they get in. Edmure, him, is in his crib. He still is too young to realize whatsoever. The boy does not even speak yet.

Hoster kneels in front of his daughters:

"Your mother wants to see you."

He cannot tell them she is dying. He knows he should, but he cannot. Catelyn looks at him, slides her hand in his and they walk out. Lysa takes Edmure in her arms, clumsily, and Brynden helps her and picks up the boy. The walk to Minisa's room seems to last both a hundred years and a few seconds. Hoster swallows hard when his hand lean on the handle of the door.

She is breastfeeding the baby. She has found the strength to do that at least once. Her beautiful face is staring intently at the baby girl, as if she wanted to remember her in the afterlife. The door creaks and she looks up, smiles when she sees the children:

"Children…" she whispers weakly.

The girls walk to her, Catelyn stern and grave, Lysa not looking concerned or aware of the situation.

"Baby!" she squeals. "What is it?"

"A girl", she mumbles. Her eyes meet Catelyn's and the eldest child feels a tear rolling down her cheek.

 _She knows_ , Brynden thinks. He turns to Hoster, who stares blankly at his family. Brynden presses his shoulder with his hand.

"Girls, listen to me. Be good to your father, alright? Always remember your words. Family, duty, honor. Remember there is nothing more precious in this world than family. I am gonna leave, now."

Catelyn starts crying:

"No, no…"

"I am sorry… I wish… I wish I could change things", Minisa whimpers, crying too.

The little baby turns her face to her sisters.

"Here, Cat, take her."

The young girl clumsily picks her up. The baby is heavy for her.

"Find her a name, always protect her, alright?"

Cat nods, tears streaming down her face. Minisa kisses her children.

"Leave now. Leave", she almost panicks.

Brynden hurriedly leads the children out. As soon as the door closes, Hoster holds her hand, kisses her and she dies, her eyes staring at him.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Far east, southern to Riverrun, the same night, a young boy is playing with his older brother. Weakly enlightened by candles, their wooden swords smash against each other. One is tall, strongly built despise his young age, bright blue laughing eyes. The other looks concentrated, almost as strong as his older brother, but not smiling. With a swift move, he manages to slide the wooden sword on the other boy's belly but this one escapes and points his own sword on the younger boy's throat. He groans and lets his sword fall down. The winner laughs, a noisy and clear laugh.

"Who's there?!" a hoarse voice makes.

"Quick!" the winner whispers and they run off to their bedroom. They close the door behind them and swiftly get in bed. Their hearts hammering against their chest, they try to be as still as possible when their door opens. Someone walks to their bed, and ends up leaving after a moment. The older brother laughs again and then glances at the other boy lay on his bed, his arms behind his head.

"Why do you never laugh, Stannis?"

"I don't know Robert… I don't know…"


	2. Chapter 2

The young Tullys are wating by their father's side, curious. Today, a young boy has to come to Riverrun. Catelyn and Lysa are side by side, Edmure, now a toddler, tries to remain as quiet as possible. The last baby is held by a handmaid. Lord Hoster glances at his daughters, proudly. HE has talked with Tywin Lannister, and intends to betroth Lysa with his son, Jaime. He heard the young boy was already very charming and handsome and Tywin, without really giving reasons, wanted to take him away from his twin sister, Cersei.

The young boy gets in Riverrun on a horse, following Lord Sumner. The young Lannister is a squire to him. Lysa widens her eyes when she sees him: he looks older than his age, and gives an arrogant look upon them all. Catelyn glares at him: the Lannisters are wealthier than any other family in the realm but she can't stand how they despise everyone else. She secretly cheered when she learnt that their little brother was a freak. Then she blamed herself for having those thoughts. Both their mothers have died giving birth and it was rumored that the two fathers couldn't stand the children who killed their mothers. They greet Jaime Lannister, getting off his horse, who nods at them. Lord Hoster shakes Lord Sumner's hand. He looks at him and smiles:

"I have a letter from Lord Lannister for you", Lord Sumner says.

"Let's go inside. The children can play together", Hoster says and leads him in the castle, walking side by side. Servants take care of the horses and soon they are alone, Cat, Lysa, Edmure and Jaime.

"Where is your uncle Brynden?" Jaime asks, his eyes shining with excitation.

"Probably fishing or swimming. Why?" Cat frowns.

"I want to talk to him", Jaime frowns back.

"We could play either, no?" Lysa proposes.

Edmure walks to Cat and slips his hand in hers, looking up at her smiling.

"Pway!" he squeals and Jaime gives a dismayed look at him.

"Alright", he sighs and they decide to play hide and seek.

On the evenings, Jaime and Lysa are seated side by side but Jaime doesn't look interested at all in her. He keeps talking with Brynden, asking him to tell him stories about the war. Hoster's brother likes it, but Lysa doesn't. She is very upset by Jaime's behavior and, when they all go to bed, she goes to the room she shares with Cat and the baby. The baby is asleep in her wooden crib. Cat looks at her smiling, brushing her soft cheeks with her fingers.

"I hope she is not gonna wake up tonight", Lysa sighs wearily as she dresses up for the night.

Cat glares at her:

"Be nice. She is just a baby. We were crying too when we were her age."

"Mother was here when we were her age", Lysa spat.

Cat sighs and looks down at the infant: Lysa and Hoster are the ones that could not forgive this baby to live. They would trade her for Minisa anytime. But they can't. So they hated her, from the moment she came to this world. Hoster has never held her, not a second. Lysa is always moaning about how painful she is, how often she cries, how useless she is. She is not useless, Catelyn thinks, slipping a finger in the baby's hand. She smiles when she feels the baby's fingers wrapping around hers. She is a Tully, she keeps silently thinking. And she will be beautiful, just like Mother. She bends down to kiss her brow and joins her bed silently. She slides under the covers and turns to Lysa.

"Do you like Jaime?" she asks her genuinely.

Lysa shrugs:

"He doesn't even look at me. Maybe he should marry a sword. She would be happier than any other women."

Catelyn feels how bitter her sister is. She keeps looking at her: Catelyn has bright blue eyes, and thick and auburn hair. Soon after her mother's death, Hoster could not look at her anymore. Brynden has explained her it was because she reminded him of her. Lysa has the same features, but she is more slender than her sister. Lysa is also shyer, quieter than her. Still, she feels bad for her that Jaime does not even talk to her.

"Do you want to sleep in my bed?" she asks her.

When they were younger, she was always joining her when she was upset, or scared by a storm outside. Lysa would snuggle up against her and could sleep peacefully. Their mother's death has changed something in her. Cat just hopes she would find a man who could give her smile back on her lips. Lysa shakes her head:

"No thank you. Good night Cat."

"Goodnight Lysa", she whispers.

She closes her eyes but cannot fall asleep. She hears whimpers coming out of the crib and she leaves her bed to take the baby in her arms. Silently, she takes her with her in her bed and she whispers comforting words. The baby turns her blue eyes to her and she falls back asleep. Cat holds her tight, scared to let her fall from the bed, and she whispers:

"It will be alright, Aylis. It will be alright…"


	3. Chapter 3

Robert's sword swirls in the air, before violently crashing on the pillow. Stannis, lying on his bed, a book in his hands, gives an annoyed look towards him.

"Is it not dead yet?" he sarcastically says.

"I don't know how you can stay that calm", Robert answered, going on moving his sword as if he was fighting an invisible enemy. Stannis looks up to admire his skills. In fighting, Robert has always surpassed him. Basically, everything Stannis does, Robert does it better, or faster, or stronger. Except reading. Robert hates books. He thinks it's boring to stay sit for hours, reading some fairytale or history of Westeros, of the dragons, the Targaryens conquest and so on. Sometimes, Stannis thinks he should have been born a girl. Maybe he would have made his parents prouder then… A harrowing yell rings out in the whole castle. Stannis feels a shiver running up and down his spine and even Robert suddenly stops exercising.

"How long will it take?" he asks Stannis when the yell has lowered its intensity.

Stannis shrugs:

"I don't know. I think it's long to deliver a baby…"

Robert sighs, goes back to his sword and Stannis goes back to his book. A few hours later, while they're both close to fall asleep, their father, Steffon, gets in their room, looking exhausted but grinning brightly. With his deep and strong voice, he announces:

"Boys, you have a little brother."

Robert jumps with joy and Stannis can't help but whining: he would have loved a sister. Someone who would not be obsessed with battles, blood and fights. Someone he could have read to. He looks up when he feels Steffon's hand on his shoulder, pressing it gently.

"Stannis, next time it will may be a girl."

The boy looks up at his father and gives a faint smile.

"Can we see him?" Robert asks excitedly.

"Of course", Steffon says and walks out of the room, followed by his two sons. They walk through Storm's End castle, silently. Stannis is surprised to see how dark the night is. It was the beginning of the afternoon when their mother felt the first pains. The sun was shining brightly and Robert moaned about having to stay in his bedroom when he wanted to hunt with his gyrfalcon Thunderclap. Stannis was weirdly relieved: he would have wanted him to go hunting too and his own bird, a goshawk, was a terrible hunter. They pass in front of the aviary, and he looks at Proudwing, his bird. Next to her stands Robert's bird, stronger, taller. As he walks with his brother and father, he remembers this day when, having a stroll with his horse, he heard weak squawking. He went down from his horse and followed the sounds: here she was, probably fallen from the nest, her wing injured. He took her back, proud of having saved her. For weeks, he took care of her, keeping her in his room, feeding her. When she first flight, he almost cried with pride. It was as if she was his little child. Then, Robert decided to go hunt with them. Proudwing didn't fly very high, when Thunderclap flied so far sometimes it became invisible to their eyes. Robert was laughing, pointing at Stannis, red with anger and shame. "Proudwing", he couldn't stop laughing. "It's more Weakwing!" Laughing at his own joke, he was holding his belly. Stannis had rushed on him and had started punching him. They were alone, and even if there had been someone, he wouldn't have stopped himself. He hated Robert's arrogance, his disdain for everyone else. Robert was stronger than him and better at wrestling, but Stannis was so angry he hadn't given him a chance. It's only when his fists had been aching too much, and his anger had simmered down, that he had rolled off him and lied on the grass, panting hard. He had stared at the sky, and had seen Proudwing flying in circle above his head. Without a word, he had come back to the castle. Robert had come back later, his gyrfalcon having killed a rabbit. He had nastily smiled at Stannis when their father had congratulated him, and had the rabbit for dinner this night. None of them had talked about the fight, but Robert had stopped mocking Proudwing, at least in front of Stannis. Lost in thought, he bumps on Steffon, still in front of the door.

"Careful, Stannis", Steffon looked over his shoulder at him.

"Sorry father", he mumbles.

Steffon leans his hand on the handle of the wooden door and he opens it. Stannis and Robert gasp slightly in anticipation and walk with him. On the bed is their mother, the beautiful Cassana. She looks tired, but her lips are locked in a broad grin and her eyes stop on her children when they get closer. Her cheekbones are pale, but even now, she looks as noble as a queen. Stannis stares at her, her eyes slowly moving to the naked baby who is wriggling on her chest.

"Say hello to your little brother", her sweet voice says.

Robert and Stannis sit by her, Stannis moving his hand towards the baby, stroking his little hand clumsily.

"What's his name?" Robert asks.

"Renly", Steffon answers.

"Starts like my name" Robert triumphantly says, staring at Stannis.

Steffon notices the look and helds back a sigh:

"And Stannis's name starts like mine", he says and Stannis gives him a grateful look.

Why can't his children get along together? They are as different as night and day, that is true. He knows it, he has always known it. But they are brothers, the same blood runs in their veins. He looks at them, as far from each other as they can and he suddenly wonders if they would be this way their whole life or if there will be a time, when they will get old, when they could share a drink together, talking about their parents's memories and their children's ones. He places his hands on both of their hair and they turn to him with the same movement. So different, and so alike somehow. Two young stags testing their force by fighting each other.

"Come on", he says. "Let your mother rest."

Stannis places a kiss on Cassana's cheek and one on the baby's head. Robert does the same and they walk to the door.

"I love you", they hear her say.

"We love you too Mother", Robert replies with a smile before closing the door behind them.


	4. Chapter 4

Catelyn shuts her eyes tight, her fists sticking against her hips, her body shaking slightly. Her shivers intensify when the boy's lips touch hers. She doesn't like it, but it's their game of the moment so she doesn't want to be the killjoy. Her cheeks turn peachy and, when she opens her eyes again, Petyr Baelish is looking triumphantly at her. She smiles slightly and looks down: it's not from excitement she blushes. It's from shame and repulsion. Lysa, by her side, jumps up and down, excited:

"My turn, my turn!" her little girl's voice shouts. Petyr gives a last look to Catelyn before joining her.

The boy had arrived in Riverrun to be forstered by Lord Tully. Lysa had fallen in love the minute he met them. But Petyr had not. Catelyn hadn't needed much time to realize he loved her. The way he looked at her, how he was insisting about playing that kiss game with them two, not only Lysa… He was three years younger than Cat, and, when she had been looking at him, she had only seen another little brother. It's true they had become very close, because they had loved having a stranger in Riverrun, but Catelyn was seeing him as a brother, not as a potential lover.

A servant calls them for dinner and they rush back to the castle, running. Catelyn takes her time, looking at her home, her landscape. She knows, as a lord's daughter, that she will have to leave Riverrun one day, to marry a man her father would have chosen. She doesn't mind that fact, unlike Lysa. Catelyn trusts her father to find her a man worthy of her. Tho, as she grows older, she knows this day gets closer, and she kind of dread it. Her heart will be broken when she will have to leave her father, her siblings, and Riverrun. How she loves Riverrun… The thick sandstones walls rising from the water, its great waterwheel turned by the Tumblestone, everything is magnificent and noble. Rain starts pouring as they get by the castle and Catelyn, unexpectedly, slows down to feel the soft and warm rain on her face and hair. She looks behind her at the godswood and smiles softly. They are all raised in the Faith of the Seven, and she loves her gods. After her mother died, she had often been there, and had cried, hiding from her siblings, because she was now the Lady of Riverrun, her father said, and she had to be strong and brave. She would mourn her mother, yes, but not in front of the others. Lysa calls at her and she joins them.

When they get in the dining room, Hoster is already sit. He glances at them and they quickly sit down in turn, knowing they're late. They all start eating silently, but Catelyn notices her sister is not here. She looks up at her father:

"Where is Ailys?" she asks.

"Sleeping", Hoster retorts coldly.

The baby is two years old now, but Hoster still shows no affection for her. It hurts Cat a lot, but she never talks about it. She knows it would be not appropriated for her to talk about these things with her father. Women dying in childbirth are very common, and it's common for the fathers to hold their children responsible for their wives' deaths. Catelyn plays with her fork, not very hungry. A single look from her father makes her eat. Outside, a thunderstorm has broken out. In the middle of the thunders, the lightning and the rain pouring hard on the castle, they hear Aylis crying. Catelyn stands up but her father coldly says:

"Sit down and finish your plate, Cat."

A servant comes to him:

"Should I go, my Lord?"

He shakes his head and she walks back to her place. Catelyn tries to eat, but the cries make her feel sick. Is she because she's a girl? But, no. She looks at Lysa, who eats quietly. Edmure doesn't react either. Aylis cries louder and louder, calling at her father, a servant, one of her sisters, anyone. Catelyn imagines her, red, her tears rolling down her cheeks, despair in her eyes. The sound stops suddenly but, instead of cries, those are scarier sounds. Catelyn stands up and exclaims:

"She's choking!"

No one moves and she runs out, not listening to her father commanding her to come back. She runs in the stairs, climbing the steps quickly, and rushes in the room. A foul odour makes her walk back at first, but after a few seconds, she walks to the crib: Aylis has tried to stand up but she couldn't, swaddle up. Catelyn winces when she sees she has thrown up everywhere but she still takes her in her arms, rocking her gently. She feels, disgusted, Aylis's mouth wiping against her beautiful hair, but she doesn't say anything, she keeps comforting her and takes her to her own room. Walking by a servant, she explains the bed sheets need to be changed in Aylis's room. The baby stops crying when they get in the room and Cat takes a washcloth and water to wipe her burning face. Aylis looks at her with big eyes and falls asleep in her bed when Cat huddles against her. Her heart still furiously hammers in her chest: she was so scared. She does not want to lose her sister. She closes her eyes and tries to find sleep.

The following morning, she decides to go see her father. It has been raining all night long, and Lysa wants them to play outside in the mud, but she wants to see him first. She knocks on the door of the room where he works, and his voice says:

"Come in."

She opens, blinded an instant by the sun shining through the window. Hoster has opened it, and a fresh wind makes Cat shiver a bit. He puts his quill on the wooden desk and turns to his oldest child:

"Hello cat", he softly says.

She walks to him and lays a kiss on her cheek.

"Father, can I ask you something?"

"Of course", he turns his chair to look at her.

"Why do you hate Aylis?" she directly asks.

Hoster sighs and shakes his head:

"I don't hate your sister…"

Cat stares at him: she would like to yell at him, but she can't, so she lets him speak. The Lord of Riverrun stands up and walks to the window, facing the river, his hands on his back, crossing them, his fingers fidgeting nervously.

"She reminds me so much of your mother, Cat. You do too, but Aylis is really the one who looks the most like her. That's why it's so hard for me to… even look at her face. I love her, she's my child, it's just… too hard sometimes."

As he says that, he remains still, his blue eyes scrutinizing his land. Catelyn walks closer to him and slips her hand in his. He looks down and smiles slightly at her:

"Her first word was 'Father', did you know that?" she asks him.

He nods slightly:

"A servant told it to me…"

"She will never disappoint you, Father. I'm sure of that."

Cat opens her arms and wraps them around Hoster's waist. He holds back his tears, and hugs her tight.

"Now, go play with your sisters and brother", he whispers against her hair.

"Alright Father", Cat nods and leaves.

Hoster stares at the door long after she left and whispers "If only you had not died, Minisa…"

Outside the castle, Catelyn runs to find her siblings and Petyr. She follows the laughs she's hearing and sees Edmure chased by a laughing Aylis, clumsily running after him. Lysa is on the ground, her dress already ruined by mud and she looks up at Cat, waves at her so she joins her. Cat happily joins, and they create a mud cake. Petyr is either with Edmure or them and, when the cake is done, he insists on eating it. Giggling all along, the sisters staring stunned at him, he eats the whole "cake". When he stands up, triumphant, his face turns white and he rushes back in the castle. The Tullys burst out laughing and keep playing until they're all too tired and too dirty to go on. When they get back in, a servant tells them Petyr has thrown up and feels really bad. Catelyn changes her clothes into cleaner ones and she goes see him. She feels a bit ashamed of what happened. Petyr is in a bed, his pale very face, his green-grayish eyes closed. He doesn't look like he is in pain, he's probably just sleeping. She sits by his side and slips her hand in his:

"I'm sorry Petyr", she whispers.

"Cat…." The boy mumbles, in a way that makes the young girl shiver violently.


	5. Chapter 5

_Storm's End, 278 AC_

Stannis and Robert are standing by the windows, staring at the unleashed sea. Maester Cressen is behind them and presses their shoulders with his hands, before closing his eyes, horrified. The boys don't close their eyes. Stannis gasps with fear when he sees the waves covering entirely the Windproud.

Their parents had left weeks ago to Volantis to help Aerys Targaryen to find a bride for his son Rhaegar. Targaryens and Baratheons were pretty close and Steffon had accepted gladly. They had thought about taking Renly, but Cassana suddenly changed her mind. The baby would stay with his brothers. They sent a letter when they were on their way back, saying they hadn't found a maid, but they did find a very funny fool, who was coming back with them.

Robert closes his eyes a second when he hears the terrorized yells ringing out in the night. The storm is terrible but the Windproud holds. For now. The boat, despite the howling wind, the giant waves that almost crush it, gets closer and closer from the castle. Robert smiles with relief and turns to his brother but Stannis stays grave and pale.

"Come on boys, let's leave" Cressen whispers but Stannis doesn't move.

"I want to watch", the boy whispers.

His eyes follow every movements of the ship, thunder makes him shiver and thunderbolt lightens up a strange glimpse in his eyes. His fists are tightly clenched, his arms stuck to his ribs, but he cannot stop his shoulders from shaking, the knot in his stomach from intensifying. Suddenly, he runs away. Cressen does not even have time to stop him and Robert yells at him. But Stannis does not care. He runs as fast as he can, climbing down the stairs, jumping the last steps, running out of the castle. Proudwing cries when he runs in front of her, but he doesn't stop either. He cannot hear Cressen when he walks out: the wind is too noisy, the sea too violent. The waves crash on the cliff, leaving them whiter with foam. Stannis's hair is soon dripped with rain but he keeps running, only stops when he reaches the wet sand of the beach. He remains speechless, his heart hammering against his chest with fear and anguish, as he looks at the ship suddenly being violently pushed against the cliff by a wave huger than the others. The noise of the wood cracking is deafening. The yells of the men are worse. But Stannis doesn't move. He calls at his parents, at his father, his mother. They are good swimmers, every Baratheon is, and he knows they can join the beach. He sees people jumping off the ship before it sinks, but the ship falls on them. And, suddenly, all the yells stop. Stannis's hope does not fade away tho. He stays still on the beach, his eyes staring at the exact place where the ship has sunk.

Robert stays with maester Cressen: they cannot send men to look for survivors, the storm is still violent and if a big ship as the Windproud can be sank, any small boat would be. Cressen gives a sorry look to the sea: there is no hope they would find survivors, they know it very well. What matters now is to find Stannis, and to bring him back here. He leaves Robert with a servant and looks for Stannis outside. The maester hears yells and cries coming from the beach. He hastily walks there, and sees the young boy, on his knees, staring at the sea, still hoping for his parents to appear. Cressen slows down, not knowing how the boy will react and he carefully wraps his arms around his shoulders to make him stand up again. He is pretty surprised when he sees the boy does not resist at all. On the contrary, he doesn't react, and follows obediently the maester. He puts him in bed himself, after servants had undressed him and given him clean and dry clothes. Cressen stays with him, but Stannis turns his back at him and refuses to say anything. With a sigh, Cressen sits on an armchair and falls asleep.

When he wakes up the following morning, Stannis's bed is empty. He hastily places a hand on the sheets: they're already cold. Immediately, he goes back to the beach. The storm has stopped before dawn and a bright sun is shining. The place where the ship sunk is quiet and still. No one could guess what happened here. Is it how things go? You die and, the day after, it looks like you never even existed. Mother, Father. Stannis hears those names in his head, he can see their faces, the heartily laugh of his father, so alike his brother's one. His mother's sweet smile and how her hair was tickling him when she wished him a goodnight. And Renly… Renly who was barely walking, already an orphan. He would not even remember them. _He will_ , Stannis firmly asserts silently _. I'll never forget about them and I'll never let him forget where he comes from_. He wipes his tears away rageously. If Robert was seeing him now, he would mock him for sure.

"Stannis?"

He swiftly turns to the voice and faces Maester Cressen. The looks on his face, not pitiful, but hurt, deeply hurt, just makes him feel like he is going to cry even more.

"Come, Stannis… There's nothing you can do for them…" Cressen takes a step forward.

"But, maybe… maybe they could swim… Father is strong… Mother is too… Maybe they could have reached a rock and… and lie there waiting for help… Maybe they could have survived… Maybe…"

But Stannis knows, deep inside, none of them has survived. His voice breaks and he turns around from Crassen. But the maester can see his shoulders jolting and the snifflings. Stannis had always hidden his feelings. Cressen had never known why. But he weirdly feels relieved to see him crying, as if he had lost hope he could express something one day. He gets closer again, unsure, but Stannis doesn't react, and he wraps his cloak around the young boy's shoulders. Stannis suddenly turns around and hugs him tight, loud and noisy sobs escaping his lips. Cressen hugs him back, feeling his own tears filling his eyes. He eyes one last time the place where the ship has sunk, and they walk back to the castle.

Two days after, as they have a walk by the beach after saying farewell to Robert, riding back to the Eyrie, they find a body on it: Cressen immediately remembers Steffon's letter and he brings the fool back to the castle. Harbert Baratheon, now Storm's End's castellan as the children are too young, tells him to kill the boy, because he would not survive. Cressen refuses and takes good care of the boy. Stannis sometimes goes see him. He cannot believe this fool has survived but not his parents. The castle is weirdly silent since they died: no more laughs, no more shouts. Stannis studies a lot to stop thinking about this night, and Maester Cressen congratulates him for his good job. He trains with swords, but he loves better studying the great battles of Westeros, trying to figure out why the winner had lost, and what the loser could have done to win. He spends hours reading books, by Maester Cressen and, when weather is good, he goes to the beach and has swims. Cressen hates it: he couldn't afford losing him in turn. So he stays by the beach, watching him swimming further every day. He doesn't know why he does that, if it's because he still thinks his parents could be alive or if it's because he wants to test his own limits. Then, when Stannis is too tired, he walks out of the water and Cressen wraps a towel around his body. They walk back to the castle, together, and Harbert takes him with him when he receives the common people and the Lords of the Stormlands. Stannis is not the Lord of Storm's End, Robert is, but Robert is far away in the north and both Harbert and Cressen feel there is something about Stannis which make him a better ruler than Robert. Stannis goes on studying until sun sets and he shares his dinner with Cressen and Harbert. This one takes him to the Sept so he talks about his parents's death but it seems obvious Stannis has lost faith in them. Tonight, as Cressen walks with him in his bedroom and that he lies in the sheets, he turns to him:

"Do you believe in the Gods, Maester Cressen?" the little boy asks.

"I do", he replies, sitting on the bed by the boy.

 _A boy_ , he thinks. Not really a boy anymore. The long hours spent swimming had developed his muscles and he's slowly turning into a teenager. He'll probably never be as strong and tall as Robert, but he is still close to him. Tho, deep inside, he has remained the shy little boy, pretty thoughtful and lonely. His voice is changing too, getting more affirmed and grave.

"Is it bad to not believe in them?" Stannis asks again.

Cressen shakes his head:

"The most important is to believe in you, Stannis. What happened to your parents was terrible and you could blame the Gods for that. Some people would say it's the destiny, some would say they were unlucky. I have loved your father and your mother and I have served them the best I could. And I will serve you, and I hope I'll live long enough to see you having children of your own."

Stannis stares at him:

"Do you think I'll find a woman one day?"

Cressen frowns:

"Why wouldn't you?"

The child shrugs and has this half-sad, half-upset pout of his.

"Robert is strong and tall and handsome", he mumbles. "And all the servants say Renly is cute…"

"Don't compare you to your brothers. Each one of you has his own qualities and flaws. Robert may be handsome but he is lazy and too flirty with girls. Renly is just a baby, I don't know how he will be once a grown up but he cannot be perfect. Nobody is", Cressen tries to reassure him.

The deep blue eyes turn to him:

"I am not sure a woman will love my qualities."

"Every woman loves a clever and brave man. And that's what you'll turn into, Stannis. I'm sure of that."

Stannis nods silently and yawns. Cressen stands up:

"It is late. Goodnight, my Lord."

A slight smile enlightens the boy's face:

"Goodnight, Maester Cressen."

He curls up and closes his eyes, and Cressen stays for a long moment, just watching him, before going to see Renly, who is having a bad cough lately, and checks everything is okay with him. If he had to compare them as babies, he would say Renly and Stannis are as different as night and day. Renly, from the moment he was born, has always been cheerful and happy, laughing often. Stannis has been curious, thoughtful. He was not a smiling baby, at least a lot less than his brothers. But he was the happiest when his parents were there. He was happier than Robert when Cassana told them she was pregnant again. Cressen had known the middle child's place was not an easy one, but he thought it would perfectly fit Stannis. Robert would have been always jealous if he had been in his place. And still, Stannis had always felt as the less loved of the three children. Cassana could be cuddly and sweet with them, Stannis was looking for his father's love, and Robert was stealing this love with being the one Steffon was the proudest of. Cressen thinks about all that as he takes Renly in his arms and checks on him. As usual, the boy gives him a charming smile and Cressen gently strokes his black hair before lying him down in bed.


	6. Chapter 6

_Riverrun, 278 AC_

Hoster Tully has just come back from a long journey and he's watching his children chasing each other laughing. His lips curl in a sweet smile, as his eyes stare at his eldest, Cat. He has news to tell her, but he wants to let her enjoy this moment with her siblings. His smile quavers a bit when he sees her embracing Aylis tight, picking her up and laying loud kisses on her cheeks, making her roaring with laughter. As he keeps looking at them, the differences between them, and the complicity they share, that they do not share with their other siblings strike him. Aylis has been, from the moment she was born, like a living doll to Catelyn. And as Catelyn has her mother's high cheekbones, Aylis is still the one who looks like her the most. Before she was born, Catelyn and Lysa were inseparable, and, should you see them for the first time, you could have thought they were twins. And tho, Cat gets along the best now with the little girl, the only one having the dark hair of her mother, and not the Tully's auburn color. Her eyes are also different: blue like the Tullys, but another shade, more grayish. When the sun was shining brightly, they looked green; when it was raining, they had the colour of the clouds. Hoster's eyes don't leave the little toddler. They watch Cat grabbing her pony and taking Aylis with her. They watch them starting to trot, and Aylis's laugh, this beautiful child's laugh, ringing out in the castle, making the handmaids smile with tenderness. They watch Catelyn galloping suddenly, Aylis stopping laughing. His heart skips a beat when he hears the loud noise and sees his daughter on the ground, still.

He storms out of the room, his heart beating furiously in his chest, and walks down the stairs running. He rushes on the spot where Aylis fell: Catelyn is holding her, crying loud. Hoster slows down, scared of what he's gonna see. As he gets closer, the handmaids move away and he lets out a sigh of relief: Aylis is crying as loud as Cat, but she seems alright, even though her brow is bleeding slightly. She looks up at him and sobs "Father!" before running to him, crashing her little body against his leg. She raises her little face to him: big tears run down her face, her china skin is dirtied by mud and blood, her nose and ears red with the fall and she wraps her little arms tight around his legs. "I am sorry, Father, I am so sorry", he can hear Catelyn sobbing loudly, totally panicked and shocked. He looks up at her, opens his arm and she rushes to them, burying her face in his chest. Clumsily, he picks Aylis up and she gasps, surprised. He has never held her, except when she was born. Hoster feels emotion overwhelming him but he doesn't show it. Aylis's tiny arms wrap around his neck and she buries her face in, her sobs slowly calming down. Hoster had always been overflowing with hugs and kisses towards his children. Except with the two last ones: Edmure was a boy and Aylis had killed her mother. He closes his eyes at this thought and bites his tongue hard. He should stop thinking like that. He doesn't want to think like that, to see an innocent child as a murderer. She is not a kinslayer: she is his daughter, she is Aylis Tully. Slowly, he turns around to go back in the castle, followed by Catelyn, still huddled against him.

In the castle, they have bread and jam to regain their composure and Hoster sits with them, grabs a piece of bread and eats with them.

"Cat, I need to talk to you", he solemnly says.

The little girl's lips tremble with anxiety:

"I swear, Father, it was not my fault! I was holding her and…"

He interrupts her:

"It's not about the accident."

"Oh… What is it then?"

She turns curious eyes to him and he smiles slightly, runs a hand in her thick auburn hair. _My little girl_ …

"You have bled for the first time a few weeks ago…" he says, pretty embarrassed.

She blushes deep red and nods quickly. Those are the moments when he regrets Minisa the most: she should be the one talking about that. Or an aunt, or an older sister. But Hoster has no sisters, and Cat is the firstborn.

"So is the time when we must think about your future", he goes on.

Catelyn's eyes leave his to lock into Aylis's one. It's time, she thinks. Time to talk about leaving the castle. She suddenly feels emotion and tears filling her eyes and she has to bite the inside of her cheek very hard to not cry.

"I have talked with Lord Rickard Stark", Hoster starts saying, watching at his daughter's reaction.

Cat's cheek reddens and she feels her heart beating faster: Stark… The wardens of the North, the most powerful Northern house…

"He is thinking about marrying his firstborn Brandon to you. And his daughter Lyanna, to Robert Baratheon. What do you think?"

She knows the question is genuinely nice. Cat knows the Lords's ways. The marriage is already settled if her father talks to her about it. But she does not care: it's a great opportunity for her and for the Tullys. She looks up at him:

"Thank you for this splendid match, Father. I am sure this man will make me very happy."

Hoster smiles, sadly. When he had discussed the wedding with Lord Rickard, it was not cheerfully. Brandon had started a relationship with Barbrey Ryswell. Lord Stark is an ambitious man, and has refused to betroth his firstborn to one of his bannermen's daughter. He had wanted the daughter of a southern Lord, and Catelyn was a perfect match. Would they love each other? Hoster hopes so. But a first love is hard to forget. Of course he remains silent in front of Cat but she asks, worried:

"Is everything alright, Father?"

"Yes… I am just sad to know you will soon leave me", he argues.

She nods and kisses his cheek:

"The wedding will not occur right away. I am not gone yet", she whispers, leaning her head on his arm, watching Aylis eating greedily.


	7. Chapter 7

278 AC, The Eyrie

Robert and Ned wake up early this morning. Ned is all smiles, since he has known about his sister coming to visit him. Robert is overjoyed too: he has seen Lyanna before, once or twice, but she was a little girl back then. Now, she is 12, almost a woman in Westeros. They hurriedly swallow their breakfast and go get ready to welcome her. Jon Arryn stands between them, giving them loving looks. Himself has never have kids, and, spending so much time with his two fostered children, he had grown very fond of them. Lord Arryn sees them as his own sons. He turns his head to the huge gate, ready to welcome the young Stark. She gets in, with her father, Rickard, riding a beautiful white mare. Jon is pretty surprised to see her dressed up like a boy, but he doesn't say anything and watches Ned run to her, smiling softly. Robert has not moved, his mouth wide opened, and Rickard gets off of his horse, laughing at his heart's content with Robert's face. He walks to Jon and shakes his hand:

"Lord Arryn" he greets him.

"Lord Stark", Jon lays a hand on Robert's shoulder:

"This is Robert Baratheon."

Lord Stark stares at him, in a pretty weird way, in Robert's opinion. The teenager holds his gaze and shakes as firmly as he can the hand of his best friend's father. Rickard wraps his arm around Jon and he leads him inside:

"So", Jon says. "I heard you betrothed Brandon to the young Tully…"

That's everything Robert can hear before they disappear inside. Ned and Lyanna are laughing and hugging, squealing with the happiness of being united again. Robert walks to them and clears his throat.

"Oh, Lyanna, this is Robert. He's my best friend!" Ned says proudly.

"Robert Baratheon", she nods and curtseys.

Robert remains speechless, unable to realize this beautiful girl standing in front of him, was the same he saw the other times. Ned chuckles and Lyanna grins huge. Robert glares at Ned and bows slightly:

"Lyanna Stark", he greets in turn.

"Can I see Lord Arryn's stables?" she asks excitedly.

"Of course, follow me", Ned says.

The three young people walk to the stables and Lyanna cuddles every horse there. Ned watches her, a tender smile roving on his lips. Robert watches her too, but not for the same reason. Despite being still young, he has already grown affection for the fair sex. And most girls had given this affection back. He had lost his virginity a while ago, as they were resting to eat in a tavern. The daughter of the innkeeper was beautiful, laughing eyes, and a huge smile. He had led her outside and had shagged her in the woods by the tavern. He was 12, back then. Once he had tasted to the pleasure of sex, he had never stopped. Every handmaid in the Eyrie could tell about that. Lyanna is young, and unattainable. _For now,_ he thinks as he stares at her. Each girl he has wanted, he had them. This one will not be different. But she is the daughter of a Lord, not of an innkeeper. His eyes drift off from Lyanna to Ned. He loves his sister. It shows as the look in his eyes. And suddenly, as an evidence, Robert knows the solution: marrying Ned's sister. Ned and he would be like real brothers, after that. He would rule Storm's End with her, they would ride on the cliffs, and she would give her strong boys, as strong as wolves during the long winter. Ned would have a wife too, and their children would be fostered together, as they are. Robert smiles softly at this thought: this life promises to be perfect. But he needs to talk to their father first. Lyanna is too young anyways; they will have to wait for a few years before actually getting married. When she is tired of staying with the horses, the teens walk back to the castle with her and show her around. She admits it is beautiful, but she still misses the North, _the real North_ , she precises. Robert wonders if she would be happy in Storm's End, which is far southward than the Eyrie. He would know how to make her happy, he is sure of that. Around noon, they join Rickard and Jon for lunch. Robert talks a lot with Rickard, hoping to make him appreciate him, and thus be favorable to the marriage. Ned chats with Lyanna, asking for news from everyone back at Winterfell, his brothers Brandon and Benjen, the baby of the family, their mother, Lyarra and Walder, the stable boy. Being only one year apart, Lyanna and Benjen are pretty close, as Brandon and Ned are. They have grown up together, Benjen following his sister in everything she was doing, following her examples. It was by watching her he had learnt how to walk, how to run. She has been the first one to take him with her on a horse. Jon, at the head of the table, looks upon every one of them, a smile curling his lips up. He knows, one day, the boys will leave to get married, have their own lives. He will be alone in this castle, and how much he is gonna grieve their departure. They could always meet each other, it is true, but it would still be hard.

Once they are done eating, the grownups stay together for a talk, as the youngs decide to have a horse ride. Jon pours some wine in a cup for Rickard and he takes it, sips it and exhales loudly:

"What is it?" Jon asks, sitting by him.

"Ah, you know… Brandon…" Rickard sighs. "I was scared he refused the betrothal. He is really infatuated with this Barbrey girl. You know, sometimes I envy you. You don't have children. You don't know the trouble they can be."

Jon raises an eyebrow:

"Your children are good people, my Lord."

Lord Stark stands up and paces around the room:

"Brandon and Lyanna are wild. I fear for them. They act before thinking, and are driven by their feelings. Benjen is a good lad, but quiet. Ned, though… Ned is a true good boy. But that's mostly thanks to you", he nods at Jon, who nods back, pretty surprised. "He has spent more time here than in Winterfell. And what about Robert? What do you have to say about him?"

Jon can't hold his smile back:

"Robert and your son are as close as brothers, and as different as night and day. Ned is shy and serious, Robert is outgoing and always laughing. In a way, Robert makes me think of your eldest son."

"I saw the way he was looking at Lyanna", Rickard starts, waiting for Jon to go on.

"Yes… I saw it too…" Jon cautiously says.

He doesn't know what Rickard thinks of Robert and he's not sure the comparison with Brandon will be in favor of the young man's case. He hastily adds:

"I've never seen him looking at a girl this way."

"Lyanna fascinates a good many men", Rickard smiles.

"She is quite extraordinary", Jon admits, even if he barely knows the only daughter of the Starks.

"She is… Maybe too much", he mysteriously adds.

Jon quickly changes the subject and they talk about what is going on in King's Landing.

The Stark stay here for a fortnight and, when they leave, Ned is not the only one who is sad. Robert and he sit on a rock, staring at the mountains surrounding them. Robert comfortingly rubs his shoulder:

"You're okay, Ned?"

The Stark boy nods silently and Robert leans back, his strong hands gripping the rock:

"You'll soon visit them in Winterfell, don't worry. I will have a letter for you, which you'll give to your father."

Ned looks up at him and frowns slightly:

"What are you talking about?"

Robert flashes him a huge smile:

"I am gonna ask your father to betroth me to your sister."

He expects him to yell with joy. Instead, Ned looks at him with a weird look, almost sad.

"Are you sure?" he asks slowly.

Robert frowns:

"I thought you would be happy. We would be part of the same family."

Ned nods slightly:

"Yes but… Lyanna is way more than a pretty girl, Robert. I know how you are with girls. Just… don't treat her like that. She would not stand it."

Robert keeps staring at him, and his blue eyes turn dark with anger:

"I am not talking about a simple girl here, Ned! I'm talking about the woman I wanna marry, I wanna have children with! I will love her! She'll be the only one I'll ever love, I assure you. I swear it on the friendship that binds us."

He holds his hand at Ned, defying him with his eyes. Ned holds back a sigh, and shakes his hand firmly.


	8. Chapter 8

Riverrun, 278 AC

Today is a feast day in Riverrun : people are celebrating the betrothal of Catelyn Tully to Brandon Stark, heir of Winterfell and future Warden of the North. Everyone is cheering in the castle. Except for one person: Petyr. He has seen the Lord of Riverrun selling his daughter like a mare when he would have loved her. Who was this Brandon Stark to her? No one. While she knew Petyr, and she loved him, he was sure she did. When the feast starts, he stays sit at the table, barely eating. He stares at Catelyn, who looks more beautiful than ever. She has put on a splendid dress, and is laughing with the guests. He loves looking at her, he loves every feature of her face, of her body. Why does he have to marry this Stark lad? They could run away, together, tonight, and no one would ever care about them. He watches her as she chats with her sister. Lysa stares at him and smiles when their eyes meet. He holds back a loud sigh and fakely smiles. Lysa is pretty, it's true, but she's not Cat. And it's Cat he loves, not her.

As the feast gets to its end, people start to dance. Catelyn dances with her father first, and then with her uncle, Brynden. Petyr stares at them, he stares at Cat, unable to look at anyone else but her. He follows the least of her movements. Everything dances in her: her arms, her legs, her back, her breasts… He smiles when she smiles; he feels his cheeks reddening like her when she finishes dancing. She is the one he sees when he looks at the sky, she would eclipse the sun. When their eyes meet, he has the feeling of an electric shot throughout his spine. He gulps his wine and walks to her, makes her dance. _Look at me, Cat. Love me, Cat._ The least fiber of his being yells this to her. But she doesn't hear it. She smiles and laughs and talks with him, but she doesn't see it. She is gonna marry the son of a greater Lord than his father, well educated, handsome, strong. _He will not love her_ , he thinks. _No one could love her as I do_. He keeps dancing with her, for five other dances. He feels so proud of being with her in this moment. She looks like a Queen, and she deserves a King. He's not a King, tho. He's the son of a low Lord. He could never hope to marry the heiress of House Tully. At best, he could marry the daughter of one of their bannermen. At best. But Petyr doesn't want that. He wants Cat. She obsesses him, night and day. He would do anything to have her. If he could, he would take a horse, ride to Winterfell and kill Brandon Stark. What will her life look like, married to some uncouth Stark? Hate and jealousy burn his veins as much as the heat of the room and his love for her.

When they stop dancing, he holds her back by her arm and kisses her. His lips has barely touched hers that she walks back laughing. Laughing. In front of everybody, she mocks him, she mocks his love. Humiliated and furious, he gets back to his chair, and drinks more wine. As the night passes, he doesn't stop drinking, and he soon almost collapses. He feels arms wrapping around him and someone picking him up as if he was a little boy. He doesn't even protest, he's too tired and drunk for that. He opens his eyes and sees the familiar face of Blackfish. The man looks down at him and smiles slightly, before getting in his chamber. He lays the boy on the bed, and gets to the chimney to light a fire. The sudden flames enlighten his face and his hair, already starting to turn grey. Petyr turns on a side and immediately falls asleep, his temples beating hard in his skull, as if they were repeating Cat's name.

He's woken up late when someone moves the sheets away. He feels hair tickling him and he half opens his eyes. It's her, he thinks. It's Cat. He smiles huge and pulls her close to him. She reciprocates tenderly, her soft hands stroking his hair and his back. His whole body shivers and his sex answers her strokes. He hears clothing's noise and suddenly, she is naked next to him. Eagerly, he strokes her, her thighs, her belly, her breasts. She whimpers with pleasure and he hardly believes his luck here. Maybe he is dreaming. He kisses her to be sure and she opens her lips, she offers herself to him. The need of being in her overwhelms him and, feverishly, he takes down his pants and slips his shirt off his head. She's a virgin, he remembers, but he can hardly restrain himself. His cock slides in her as if it was its natural place and the warmth of her entrance takes his breath away. He breathes hard, pleasure rushing in his veins as fast as wine rushed in his stomach, a few hours ago. Why did she change her mind? He doesn't understand. And, somehow, he pays that no mind. He just closes his eyes, and let nature do its work.

When he comes in her with a hoarse moan, he rolls off her and immediately pulls her close for a tight and tender embrace. His lips curl in a sweet smile, his eyes close with tiredness and he whispers her name, the most beautiful sound he has ever heard. "Cat…"

Snuggled up close to his chest, his strong arms wrapped around her, Lysa Tully holds back a sob and lets tears stream down on her face.


	9. Chapter 9

Winterfell, 279 AC

Eddard Stark has just turned 16 since a few weeks, and is now free to travel between the Eyrie and Winterfell, his home. He leaves The Eyrie on this morning, a letter by his heart. Robert has given it to him and he knows what is written. He has nodded to him, and then left on his horse. Ned is happy to see his father again, and his siblings. He loves Jon Arryn, of course, but still, his blood is his blood. He has taken with him a few men, just in case they could be attacked by bandits. The travel is safe, tho, and they arrive in Winterfell within a few days.

Eddard is welcomed by his sister Lyanna, first, then Brandon and Benjen. Rickard, their father, lets them welcome him before embracing him in turn, in a tight hug.

"Hello, my son", he says with a smile.

"Father", Ned nods, smiling too. "We need to talk…"

Rickard wraps an arm around his shoulders and leads him in the castle.

Eddard is chewing on a piece of meat and some cheese, staring at his father. A huge grin has enlightened his face when he has read the letter. He rolls up the parchment and turns to his son:

"Brandon with Lady Tully, Lyanna with Lord Baratheon… What about you, Ned? Who would you marry?" he asks before laughing heartily.

Ned smiles slightly, and looks down.

"What is it, Ned?"

He hears the sound of the chair's legs scraping the slabs of the room and looks up at his father.

"You do not look enthusiast. You say Robert is very close to you, that you love him very much."

Ned nods:

"I do, Father."

"Then why do you look so stern?" Rickard asks, leaning his hand on his son's shoulder. Eddard looks up at him, and his grey eyes lock his father's.

"I love Robert with all my heart, and I would love him to marry Lyanna. He would become my brother, and it will be a great alliance… Starks and Baratheons…"

He does not finish his sentence, but Rickard feels there is something else.

"But?" he encourages him.

As much as Brandon and Lyanna are loud and outgoing, Benjen and Ned are pretty shy and quiet. Rickard has always felt the wild blood running in his eldest son and only daughter's veins will cause their downfall.

"I do not know if Robert will be a good husband", Ned admits. "Especially to someone like Lyanna."

"Ned", Rickard sighs and sits by him.

"Your sister needs to be tamed now. She is old enough to realize what her place is. She is a Lady; she will always be, even tho she does not want to be one. That is who she was, that is who she was born to be. Girls… Girls always dream about princes, romantic love… Pah" he huffs with disdain. "Love marriage are not always the greatest ones, remember that, Ned. Love takes time to be built, a lot of time. It is not love before several years, believe me. But which is the strongest, Ned? A slowly built house, with maybe raw materials, or a pretty house built hastily? Which one will resist the winds of winter, the snow storms?"

"The slowly built one", Ned answers.

"Exactly. When the one built hastily will collapse with the slightest wind. Well, love is exactly the same thing. We all want to live passion, to know a unique love in our lives. Only a few of us know the most tempting things are also the most dangerous ones."

Eddard watches his father take a quill and ink: he writes a few words, rolls the parchment up, places an insegel on it and holds the letter to Ned, who takes it silently.

"You will tell your friend we are very pleased by this proposal, and that we accept do not worry about Lyanna. She likes him. She told me so when we came back from the Eyrie, last time we visited you. Now", he places his strong hand on his son's hair, and ruffles it quite brutally, "get rid of this stern look and join your siblings. I am sure you all have a lot to tell each other."

Ned smiles slightly and stands up, walks to the door, leans on the handle, and turns to his father:

"Shall I talk to Lyanna about this?"

Rickard shakes his head briefly:

"I will."

Ned smiles again and closes the door behind him. As soon as he is sure his father doesn't see him anymore, he loses his smile.


	10. Chapter 10

_Winterfell, 280 AC_

Lyanna storms out of the stables, Eddard right on her tracks. She is furious, and he cannot deny she is right to be.

"Lyanna, please…" he tries to say, but she cuts him off.

She grabs a saddle outside, and steps in the box of her horse, wide open, and places the saddle carefully on his back. She strokes his neck gently, and turns to Ned. Immediately, her eyes turn dark again and her mouth contracts with rage.

"He has a daughter! From another woman! While we are betrothed! Don't tell me he loves me, Ned!"

The young buck does not know what to say: Lyanna is right, in his opinion. He had warned Robert of not thinking she was like any other girls. And he could have not helped himself. He had a baby with a commoner, in the Eyrie. Ned could have not kept it to himself, especially when Robert was paying visits to the little baby. The mother had called her Mya. And, as she was a noble's bastard, her last name was Stone. Ned felt terribly ill at ease when they were visiting them. Robert was not interested anymore in the mother, but he looked happy to have a child. He would hold her, turning to Ned and asking him if he thought she was looking like him. Ned would agree, very pale and sometimes so angry at the boy he sees as a brother. Robert has been reckless, totally reckless. He has not thought about Ned, or Lyanna. He has thought only about himself. _As usual_ , Ned bitterly has thought. And now, he has to visit Winterfell, and tell his beloved sister the man she had been promised to has already been cheating on her. He has tried to ask Robert why, why he had to sleep with a commoner, when he just had to wait a few years before marrying Lyanna. Robert had shrugged, and said he couldn't have restrained himself, that he had needs that should be fulfilled. " _I love your sister_ ", he had said, " _I really do. I was thinking about her when I was with Mya's mother_." He had probably hoped it would soften Ned up, but it had just disgusted him even more. Since then, something was broken between the two young men. But, still, he should convince Lyanna. A betrothal cannot be broken that easily, especially since the King gave his consent to the marriage. He sees her getting on her horse. He frowns:

"What are you doing?"

Lyanna huffs:

"If you wanna go with me, take a horse."

With that, she spurs her horse and it gallops out of the stable. Ned quickly follows her, but she is a better rider than him and he loses her in the woods. He comes back to the castle, then back in the woods again, calling out at her _. Why does she have to be so savage_? He wonders. He hears a snort, and knows it's her horse. He follows the sound and finds the horse alone, his reins wrapped around a tree. Leaning on the tree is Lyanna, sat in the snow. Ned sighs and joins her:

"You're gonna fr…"

He cannot finish his sentence. Lyanna is crying. And even she quickly wipes her eyes and nose off, she cannot deny it: she is crying. Ned remains dumbfounded: from as far as he can recall, he has never seen her cry. Never. She could fall from a horse, burn herself, cut herself, she would never cry. Never. He quickly kneels down in front of her, and strokes her hair gently:

"Lyanna…" he sighs. "I am so sorry."

"I do not want him as a husband", she sniffles loudly. "I deserve better than him, Ned. I deserve better than cheating. I want to be the only woman in my husband's heart, do you understand?"

"I do, sweet sister, I really do."

He sits by her and wraps an arm around her. He feels the frozen snow under his butt, and he shivers violently, holding her tighter.

"How can you be friend with such a man, Ned?" he hears her asking.

He lets out a sigh and leans his head against the tree, smelling the mixed scent of the snow and the wood.

"He has qualities, Lyanna. He is brave, good at telling jokes, always smiling."

He feels her head nodding against his chest:

"Those are the qualities of a friend, not of a husband. I could never be happy with him, I know it. He is handsome, yes, for sure. That does not do everything."

"I know", Ned whispers.

He feels so heartbroken with her words, not because she speaks them, but because it is the truth. And yet, she does not have a choice. She has to marry him. It is her duty, as the daughter of a Lord, and because the King, when he gives his consent, turns the proposal into an order. Maybe, when they will be married, and that she will be Robert's, he will stop sleeping around. Ned hopes so, with all his heart: he knows Lyanna will not stand it, and even he will have difficulties being nice to a man who cheats on his sister. Lyanna and he remain this way for almost an hour before the cold make them stand up and get on their horse again. They go on with their ride, not willing to go back to the castle straightaway, and go back to Winterfell only when they know their family is waiting for them to share a meal.

 _A/N: oh, the irony. Next chapter: Harrenhal. So excited for this one! Please, do not hesitate leaving reviews!_


	11. Chapter 11

_Harrenhal, 281 AC_

Today is the first day of the Tourney of Harrenhal. The whole kingdom had gathered here, or most, to celebrate Lord Walter Whent's daughter's nameday. The tourney should last for five days, and Aylis Tully, as she wakes up and gets ready to leave for Harrenhal, is very excited. It is the first time she is going to meet so many different Lords and Ladies, and she cannot wait to be there. Riverrun is not far from Harrenhal at all, and she hopps up and down, waiting for her sisters. She rushes in their room, and sees Catelyn having her hair done by a handmaid.

"Cat!" she exclaims. "Hurry up!"

The young Tully laughs heartily:

"Sweetheart, the knights are not going to vanish, we still have time before joining Harrenhal."

The little girl pouts cutely and joins her:

"Are we going to see Brandon again?" she asks.

"Yes. His whole family will be here", Catelyn beams.

Aylis smiles back and asks, frowning:

"Where is Lysa?"

Catelyn shrugs, and looks at her reflection in the mirror. Aylis leaves and finds Lysa, sat on a bench, lost in thoughts. She sits by her and takes her hand:

"Are you alright, Lysa?" she asks her.

Lysa sighs and quickly slips her hand off her:

"I'm fine", she coldly says.

Aylis gasps slightly with her brusqueness, but is not surprised. Lysa has changed, lately. She does not know why but everyone has noticed it, including their father. She has turned quiet and stern, when she was always laughing and nice. It is with Cat she is the nastiest now, and Cat cannot understand why. So she ends up avoiding her, and Lysa finds herself mostly all alone. Aylis, silently, stays by her side, until Hoster calls at them all and they join him. Aylis has chosen a beautiful red dress, made out of silk from Essos. It fits her flawlessly, draping past her ankles. The two straps are made of red laces, and reveal her fair skin. Her dark hair, similar to her mother's, has been done in an elegant bun, giving free rein to the beauty of her face. She is only six, but most of Riverrun people praise her beauty, and insist she could be even more beautiful than Cat, when she'll grow up. Aylis hears the words, but pays that no mind. As she walks in front of a mirror, she admires herself, still knowing that, as soon as the tourney is over, her hair will run freely on her back, and she will run in the mud with her siblings. She joins her father, and turns to him:

"Can I take Smudge?" she asks him.

Smudge is the pony her father has bought for her, for her last nameday. She has named him Smudge because he has a weird coat, both black and white. On the first days, the servants had found her sleeping with him in his stable. Hoster had to threaten to sell it back so she would stop.

Hoster turns to her:

"No. You are going to ruin your dress"

"Father, please!" she insists.

"I said no!" he shouts and she startles a bit before looking down.

They all walk out of the castle, Petyr with them, and gets in two different chariots. Aylis is with Lysa and Edmure, while Cat and Hoster are in the second one. Aylis looks around the road excitedly. But they are soon in Harrenhal, and everyone leaves in different directions. Hoster goes to meet Lords, and takes Aylis with him. Edmure goes with Cat to see the Starks, Lysa follows them, obviously unwillingly. Aylis moans, willing to follow Cat, but Hoster holds her firmly, and Brynden, who has joined them, tries to cheer her up. Hoster introduces her to several Lords she does not even know about, and, soon, Cat joins them with the Starks and their host, Lord Whent. Aylis beams when she sees Brandon, holding Cat's arm. By him is a young man who looks a lot like him, and introduces himself as Eddard Stark. With Ned, stand Robert Baratheon, Lyanna Stark, and an unknown man. Aylis looks up at them all and her eyes stop on the last young man: she stares at him as if it was the first time she sees a man. He is tall, almost as much as Robert, and they share the same black hair, the same blue eyes. Although, as much as Robert is smiling, this one looks clearly pissed of being here. Robert puts a hand on his shoulder:

"The killjoy here is my brother, Stannis", and heartily laughs right after.

Aylis curtseys as she has been taught to and Stannis slightly smiles. Lord Whent turns to them:

"Lord Tully, Lord Baratheon, would you like to see your chambers?"

"Stannis, would you be kind enough to stay with Aylis?" Hoster looks at him. "I have matters to discuss and Edmure needs to come with me"

Stannis looks a little puzzled, but still nods quickly and walks away. Aylis follows him obediently, and soon needs to run to follow him. As they walk together, she talks about Riverrun, the castle, her family. Stannis barely says a word. They go to the Godswood. There, she sits down and Stannis looks around him:

"It is not very careful for you to be on your own", he says, a hand on the handle of his sword.

Aylis looks at him and smiles:

"I am not alone. You are here. You will protect me if something happens."

Stannis smiles slightly and looks around: it is the first time he goes there, and he must say it is quite nice. The tourney does not interest him, and he is not really pleased with the presence of the little girl either, but he adapts to it. He feels her look upon him and it embarrasses him.

Aylis cannot take her eyes off the young man standing in front of her. Her eyes greedily run from his face, pleasant, to his strong arms and chest, and his large hands. She feels he could smash her skull with his bare hand if he wanted to. When she will marry, she would like her husband to look like him. Tall and strong, a man who could protect and love her, and who will give her healthy children. A black crowned stag, standing on a gold field, proudly rearing, is embroidered on his tunic _. House Baratheon. Words: Ours is the Fury. Seat: Storm's End. Lord: Robert Baratheon_. She automatically repeats in her head what she has been taught by the maester of Riverrun. She is still very young, but has developed a passion for the different houses of the realm. She often plays with Cat and Lysa, asking them what are their favorite words, apart from their own of course, the most beautiful sigil, the most impressive castle. Aylis liked Highgarden, tho she has never been there. But from what people said about it, she is sure she would love it. Cat, of course, is all about Winterfell. Lysa talks about Casterly Rock. None of them is appealed by the regent house, or the capital. They love being with their own people, and wish they would go on this way, all of them. She notices how Stannis looks at the Godswood, and says:

"My family used to worship the Old Gods before the Andals came. I have always loved them. I wish we could still worship them. Maybe they would hear my prayers, because, obviously, the Seven do not. Do you believe in the Gods, Lord Stannis?"

"I am not a Lord", he smiles a bit and shakes his head. "I have stopped believing in them when my parents died."

Aylis bites her lips, ashamed with her mistake:

"I am sorry for your loss. How did they die?"

She was still a little girl, and very curious. Stannis sits by her:

"Their ship sank."

As he finishes his sentence, a sudden rustle and a blurry vision makes her cry out with fear. Stannis chuckles:

"Do not be afraid. It is simply Proudwing."

On his forearm, stands a goshawk. Aylis beams and holds her hand at him. Stannis moves away:

"Careful! She can pinch."

"I love her name", she smiles again and stares at Stannis, as his hand gently strokes the grey feathers. He slightly smiles as he looks at his bird, when Proudwing's beautiful orange eyes stare at the little girl.

"Thank you", the young Baratheon says, and he lets Proudwing fly away from them.

"Has your father bought her to you?" she asks.

He shakes his head and looks at her:

"No. I found her. She was injured. I took care of her. She can fly now."

She smiles huge:

"So you love animals?"

"Not all of them", he shrugs. "I don't like cats."

Aylis laughs heartily:

"My favourite ones are horses! I have a pony, Father has offered me for my name day! His name is Smudge!"

"So you ride horses?" Stannis raises an eyebrow.

She nods frenetically:

"Cat says I ride as good as a boy!" she proudly asserts.

Stannis smiles: he had thought this time with her would be boring, but she is indeed quite entertaining. Aylis giggles and strokes the tree they're leaning on, before losing her smile suddenly:

"I wish gods would listen to me, sometimes."

"What do you ask them?" he carefully asks, not willing to be rude to her.

"That my father loves me more. That my mother comes back to life", she plays with grass at her feet.

"How did your mother die?" he asks again.

"Giving life to me. That's why Father hates me", Aylis mumbles.

"I am sure he does not hate you. But your mother cannot be revived. She is dead, you need to accept it", he tells, her staring at her. "If you live all the time in childish dreams, if you always believe in what the songs and the poems say, if you keep living on illusions, your heart will be quickly and very easily broken."

She stares at him, a bit shattered by how brutally he says that, but also impressed by his honesty. Her heart hammers violently in her chest, and she knows it is not because he has just made her sad. There is something else she feels, something new, something she has never experienced before. Without even realizing it, she leans on him and places a kiss on his cheek. He smells good, she tells herself, and his skin is soft and warm.

"My lady", a voice does, and she turns to the person who said that. It is a servant, and she looks at them weirdly.

"The feast is ready. If you would follow me", she curtseys and walks away. Stannis stands up, helps Aylis doing the same and they leave together, Stannis lost in thoughts.

The tourney lasts for five days. Every night, when Aylis joins her bed, she dreams of Stannis. Sometimes he is a conqueror, on a beautiful horse; sometimes, he is just a common man, sat on the grass. Every time, she is older, and not a simple little girl. At days, she tries to stay with him, which is not difficult as Cat herself does not leave the company of Brandon, Eddard and Robert. She watches the tourney and cannot decide if she likes it or not. She is just happy Stannis does not participate. The defeated knights are thrown to the ground, some seriously injured. On the first day, Jaime Lannister, who Hoster intended to betroth to Lysa, is welcomed by his new brothers in the kings guard. Lord Tywin is not at the tourney, and it is rumored he was furious after Aerys: Jaime is his heir, and, as a knight of the king's guard, he cannot marry or have children. Tywin's only heir is then Tyrion, the Imp he hates. Jaime's sister, Cersei, lives in King's Landing with their father, as he is the Hand of the King. People say Tywin wanted to marry him to split the twins, but no one knows why. A mysterious jouster also appears, wearing a shield with a smiling tree on it. He defeats three squires before disappearing on the following day. No one ever knows who he is, and why he has disappeared.

During the first evening, Howland Reed had been attacked and Lyanna Stark happened upon them and chased them away. She has taken care of him before introducing him to her brothers. During the feast, as Aylis, very tired with the day, was about to fall asleep, Rhaegar Targaryen, the king's son, sang a romantic song. Aylis has thought it was pretty cheesy, but she has seen Lyanna crying, her brother Benjen mocking her and Lyanna, as revenge, pouring wine on her little brother's head. They all had a good laugh and then had gone to bed.

At the end of the tourney, as Rhaegar defeats Ser Barristan Selmy, he is declared as the winner of the tourney and chooses a new Queen of beauty. Aylis is here, by her father's side, cheering with everyone else, when the handsome prince passes by his wife with a crown of blue winter roses and hands it to Lyanna Stark. Immediately, the cheers and the clasps stop. Lyanna stares at him, takes the crown, when Elia Martell stares blankly in front of her. Aylis looks at her and sees a tear rolling down on her face.


	12. Chapter 12

_Riverrun, 281 AC_

Lying down under a tree, the Tully children enjoy the warmth of this afternoon. From what the ancient say, this year has been the warmest since a very long time. The fruits have been sweet and juicy all year long, and the small folk have been very happy with the harvests. But the end of the year is getting closer, and the peaches and strawberries have been replaced by the apples and the peers. Edmure had seen the cook and asked for an apple pie. No one could resist this adorable little boy, the cook even less. And here he is, running to join his sisters, waiting for them. The cook had cut the pie and they share it together. By them run the Red Fork, wide and placid. Their uncle Brynden often told them the mud of the river is red because of the hair color of the Tullys, and that too many of them have bathed in the river, hence giving it this colour. It is a lie, of course, but they still enjoy those legends. In front of them, not far, stand their castle. Petyr is inside, despite the warm sun shining brightly, and the perspective of a hot apple pie waiting for him. Edmure tried to make him join them, but he stubbornly refused.

When their bellies are filled with pie, they all lay side by side, the auburn hair and Aylis's dark one spread all over the green grass. The youngest of them close her eyes, enjoying the stroke of a gentle wind on her face, the freshness of the grass tickling the back of her neck and making her shiver with contentment. She lets out a loud sigh and she hears Cat chuckling. She smiles: she has always loved Cat's laugh. But, right now, as she keeps her eyes shut, she does not see Cat, or Lysa, or Edmure, or Riverrun. She sees Stannis, she imagines his hands, his sword, the blue of his eyes, the black of his hair.

"What did you think of the Tourney, Aylis?"

She opens her eyes and groans as Stannis's image vanishes suddenly. She turns to Lysa, and shrugs:

"The King looked old and ill. The Prince is a cunt."

They all laugh suddenly, half genuinely amused, half outraged. Catelyn places a hand on her mouth:

"Aylis, you spent too much time with Robert Baratheon back then! You cannot say this word."

The little girl turns her big blue eyes to her, and her eyebrows fold in a big frown:

"Why not?"

Lysa bursts out laughing:

"He will be your king one day, Aylis. You need to respect him."

"Why would I respect him? Have you not seen what he has done? His wife was crying! It was so sad! And no one cared."

They stop laughing and exchange knowing looks: indeed, a lot of people cared. Aylis must have not remembered how everybody went silent when Rhaegar gave these flowers to Lyanna Stark. Simple flowers, but which meant so much. Lysa clears her throat and changes the subject:

"Don't you think Prince Rhaegar is handsome?"

Aylis shrugs: she has never understood why the Targaryens look so handsome for everybody. They especially look unnatural to her: their purple eyes, their silver hair. The Targaryens do not even look human. Lysa raises an eyebrow at her shrug:

"Really? You would not like to marry one of his children?" she asks again and Aylis shakes her head.

"Who would you marry then?" Lysa asks again, obviously amused by her sister's reactions.

The two nouns rush out of her mouth before she even thinks about it. He obsesses her, night and day. A long silence settles in and her siblings burst out with laughter. She looks at them, and scowls, more and more nastily, feeling her cheeks burning with anger and shame. Shame of being openly mocked by the people she loves the most in this world. Edmure is rolling over, unable to stand as he laughs so hard.

"What is so funny?" Aylis glares at them.

Cat is the first one to calm down:

"Is he not a bit old for you? And are you not a bit young to think about teenagers?" she teases her.

Aylis softens slightly but still crosses her arms against her chest:

"No", she stubbornly says.

Edmure lets out muffled shouts: he cannot stop laughing. Aylis stands up and runs back to the castle, before they see her tears rolling down her cheeks. They call at her, but she does not listen, runs back through the great door, and to the room where they all study. There, not even paying attention to Maester Kym, she grabs ink, a quill and parchment and runs away. She passes through the Great Hall to the Godswood. Her heart hammers in her chest, she feels sweat running in her back and between her thighs but she does not care. Her eyes are blurried by her tears and she suddenly stops once she finds herself in the garden. The trees have always comforted her, when she was feeling sad, and she hopes she could find comfort here again. She sits under a huge redwood, and stares blankly at the carved weirwood, as if it is staring back at her. She sniffles noisily and grabs the quill, puts the tip of it in the ink and writes on the parchment:

" _Deer Stannis,_

 _I hop you are allrigt._ "

She stops here: should she go on and tell him why she feels so sad, why the parchment might be damped with tears? She shrugs and decides to write everything. She cannot hold it anymore and, anyways, she does not expect an answer.

" _Seenc the Toorneye, I am always sinking abaout you. I weashe you coold bee her with me. Touday, my sisters hav ask me woo I want to mary end I sayd yoo. Zey mock me and naw I eight theim. I lov you Stannis, I hav lovt you seence the momant I sow you._

 _Fo revere yourz,_

 _Aylis Tully._ "

She needs almost half an hour to write the letter, doing her utmost with her handwriting. But she is pretty proud of herself; she has not done many spelling mistakes. She folds carefully the letter when the ink is dry, and runs back to the aviary. Here, she finds wax and a seal, and she seals the letter, before wrapping it around one of the raven's leg. She watches it flying away, and for the first time in hours, a smile roves on her lips.

She remains mad at her siblings for days and moans noisily when she realizes, as she is with them for her lessons, how many spelling mistakes she indeed has done in the letter. Stannis is going to think she is a perfect dipstick. Every day, she stays with her father, hoping a raven comes to her with an answer. She does not even know how long it takes for a raven to fly from Riverrun to Storm's End. She also asks for a hawk at her father, but he just frowns:

"Since when do you like hunting?"

Last time they killed a stag, she had cried for days when they had taken the beast back in the castle. Edmure had been with their father, and he was proud as a peacock. Aylis had hated the sight of it, the blood, the eyes wide opened of the beast, his mouth discovering his teeth, and she had thought he must have cried out for help. A shiver had overwhelmed her and she had run away. And now, she wants a hawk?

"Oh, I would not use it for hunting, Father! He would be my friend!" she enthusiastically exclaims.

Hoster Tully looks down at her, smiling tenderly. What will this world will do to such innocence and naivety: she is six years old, and she needs to grow up. Before long, he will start looking for a husband for her. And once she would have bled, she would not be his anymore. She would be another man's and, he hopes, a good one, who would treat her well. Aylis's father does not answer her wish: he just cups her lovely face in his hands, strokes his mother-like cheekbones and lays a gentle kiss on her brow, before ordering her to go play with her siblings.


	13. Chapter 13

_Storm's End, 281 AC_

Maester Cressen walks through the castle to see if any message has arrived today. He startles slightly when he sees a raven, and a letter with the Tully's seal on it. _What does Lord Hoster want to Stannis_? He wonders. _Maybe it is for Robert._ Waiting to get married to Lyanna Stark, Robert is now in Storm's End, and has left for a hunt as soon as sun has risen. Cressen takes the paper out of the bird's leg and smiles more and more as he reads the letter. It is not from Hoster Tully, but indeed from his youngest daughter, Aylis. And it is honestly the most adorable letter he has ever read. Still smiling, he takes the letter to Stannis, who is having his breakfast in the Great Hall. He wakes up early, as his brother, but everyday he goes to swim in the sea, sometimes for two hours, and he then comes back to the castle, changes into clothes and goes eat. When Cressen comes in, he notices Stannis's hair is still wet from the swim. In front of him, on the big wooden table, a plate has been placed, with a piece of meat, bread and cheese. In his cup, his traditional lemon water. Stannis has not taken a liking in wine, or ale. Robert cannot stop teasing him about this, saying he drinks like a maiden. His brother does not react: he knows Robert only waits for a reaction. Cressen lets out a sigh as he thinks about that: he wishes the brothers would be closer but he cannot control it. He must accept their differences. Stannis looks up at him when he gets in and sees the parchment. Cressen bows slightly:

"A letter for you, Stannis."

"Me?" he raises an eyebrow surprised.

Stannis is not used to receive letters: Robert is the Lord of Storm's End and, even if Stannis is his castellan, Robert is still here often enough to take care of the business of the castle and of his lands. Still surprised, he holds his hand at Cressen and the maester slips the letter in it. He watches him carefully, impatient about his reaction. Stannis unfolds the later and sips lemon as he reads. He looks a bit surprised but then, no other feeling shows through his sullen face. He folds the letter back and puts it on the table. Cressen moves to take it back but Stannis stops him:

"I will answer her soon."

"Alright, Stannis", he nods and leaves the Great Hall, just when Renly joins his big brother. Cressen sees him standing on his tiptoes to lay a kiss on Stannis's cheek. He barely reacts, just like when he read the letter.

Stannis takes some time just before lunch to answer Aylis's letter. Robert has come back from the hunt in the middle of the morning, with a roebuck. The cooks have started to butcher him so they could serve it for lunch. In his little office, Stannis sits on the chair by the window, and stares a moment at the sea. It is a beautiful and warm day, the sea is calm and he closes his eyes, enjoying the soft sound of the waves lapping the base of the cliff. He loves the sea for its beauty, its wildness, and he hates it for what she had taken away from him. His parents, his happiness, his laugh, his smile. He reads again Aylis's letter: he has noticed how Cressen was staring at him. He bets the maester has laughed at the letter. It is cute, indeed. Just because he cannot show it, does not mean he does not feel it. But what can he answer? She is a little girl. She should be dreaming of marrying Renly, and not him. Although, she is the daughter of a Lord, and he is a noble as well. He cannot ignore her letter. He has never been over expressive, but he has never been cruel. He soaks the quill in dark ink and starts writing:

" _Lady Aylis,_

 _I thank you for making enquiries about me. I am fine. My brother Robert and I take care of the affairs of our home and everything is in order lately. I hope, in Riverrun, all goes well._

 _I advise you not to send letters with your father's permission. You should not keep anything hidden from him. When you read a letter, let your Maester or maybe one of your sisters checking on it. Your letter was nice, but filled with spelling mistakes._

 _I end this letter by sending you and your family my regards,_

 _Stannis of House Baratheon_."

He reads it again. It will probably sound harsh and quick but he does not know how to do things in a different way. A handmaid knocks on the door and announces the lunch is ready. He stands up, seals the letter after folding it and sends it before joining his family in the Great Hall.

A few weeks later, he is again having his breakfast in the Great Hall when Cressen comes in again, with the same look on his face. Stannis does not even need to ask and just holds his hand out, making Cressen holding back a chuckle. Aylis writes to him she has followed his advice and has asked her father to allow her to keep writing to him. Stannis hardly refrains himself to roll his eyes: he did not mean that, he meant to write a letter in general but… well she is just a child, and she may not understand everything very well. She also gives news about her siblings and Riverrun, and the letter is way longer than the first one. She precises at the end that if Stannis finds spelling mistakes, she is not to blame as their maester in Riverrun has helped her write the letter after her. This time, the letter was specifically addressed to "Stannis of House Baratheon", and he answers it when he is quietly in bed, in the evening.

Unexpectedly, Stannis takes a liking into this correspondence: Aylis looks pretty mature for her age, and they often confide themselves in each other. Stannis finds it easier to communicate with letters than with spoken words, and he allows himself to write about his parents, his siblings. Aylis does the same, writing how much she would like to know her mother, the time she spends with her uncle Brynden because her father would not agree to tell her about Minisa. They do not make each other wait for answers; they respond the same day they receive the letter: they know the waiting is long enough as they have to wait for ravens to reach each other's castle.

Stannis starts having a weird dream, not really knowing if it is a pleasant one or not. In his dream, he is a proud young stag, with small antlers, and he runs and grazes by a large river. The sun shines brightly and it warms him up, and the fresh grass cannot cool him down after a moment. He walks to the water and starts drinking, eagerly: the water tastes delicious, fresh and thirst-slaking. He closes his eyes with contentment and suddenly feels an intense pain on his muzzle. He opens his eyes and recoils suddenly. His eyes widen when he realizes a trout has "bitten" him. How can it be? The worst is that, despite his strength, the trout makes him fall in the water, violently, and that the current is very strong. He is not scared: he sees the trout jumping out and in the water by his side, and he knows he's a good swimmer. The trout, whenever she gets out of the water, cries "smile, Stannis!" and stays silent again when she gets in.

The dream lasts pretty long every time and, when he wakes up, Stannis is in a sweat, and feels weirdly calm and contented.


	14. Chapter 14

Now it begins…

 _Riverrun, 282 AC_

Sitting in the study room, Edmure looks through the window and lets out a loud sigh. The sun is shining, it is the middle of the morning, and he would give anything to leave this room and go play in the garden. He startles as he hears someone clearing his throat and looks up: their maester is standing right in front of him. Blushing, Edmure gets back to the reading of his book. He glances at his sisters: Lysa too looks miles away. Catelyn listens and writes quietly. And Aylis, her tongue slightly sticking out of her mouth, is learning orthography. Edmure has been asked to learn all the names, words and seats of the houses of the Riverlands. Catelyn is learning about all the towns and villages. Lysa is supposed to study the rivers of the Realm but she just stares blankly at her parchment. Looking back at his book, Edmure realizes he is just looking at House Allyrion of Dorne. He moans with exasperation, knowing he will probably have to spend his whole afternoon studying. Before the maester could reprimand him, the door opens suddenly. They all look up and Aylis exclaims:

"Uncle Brynden!"

"Hello children", their uncle smiles at them before turning to the maester. "I need Edmure, maester Kym", he says and Edmure feels an intense relief overwhelming him. Kym frowns a bit, not used to be interrupted during the children's studies but he nods silently and Edmure jumps out of his chair. Lysa moans "Unfair!" and Edmure sticks his tongue out at her as he walks out.

Brynden lays a hand on his shoulder and Edmure looks up at him:

"Where are we going to?"

"I wanted you with me to go fetch the gift for your sister's nameday", Brynden explains. "We are going in town."

Edmure's eyes widen with excitement: he loves going there, meeting the small folk and seeing what will belong to him. He stops walking to hug him tight and smiles hugely at him:

"Thank you for taking me out of here", he chuckles.

Brynden ruffles his hair gently:

"No problem, boy."

They walk to the saddles, prepare horse and pony and leave together. Edmure has a smile locked on his face since they left. He loves being outside, able to smell the fresh grass, the scent of the river, hearing its sweet sound as it runs by them. When they get in town, the small folk recognize them and bow before them. The Tully heir feels his heart swollen with pride: his family is loved, he can see that, and respected by the other Lords. He hopes he can meet to their expectations, as well as to his father's. Edmure feels Hoster prefers Cat. Is it because she is a firstborn? He does not know, but he still feels it. All the other children do. Except maybe Aylis, totally lost in happiness since she has started this correspondence with Stannis Baratheon. But, right now, he feels acknowledged as the heir of Riverrun. He gently smiles at the small folk, answering their greetings, still following Brynden closely. His uncle leads him to a merchant selling birds and Edmure frowns slightly:

"A bird?" he asks his uncle, surprised.

He thought he would buy her a nice dress, or jewels, girls' gifts basically.

"A hawk. She asked for one", Brynden shrugs.

He had never had children of his own and his nieces and nephew have a special place for him. He loves them as if they were his own. He wants to please the little girl for her name day so he would buy exactly what she asked for. The merchant comes to them with a huge smile: the fact that everyone sees the heir of Riverrun getting in his shop will be very good for business. Edmure looks around him: several birds, of every size and color, stand in cages. Some look very miserable; others sing and fidget when they see him. The more they get into the shop, the bigger the birds are. And, eventually, they come to see the hawks. They all look very beautiful, some grey, some brown, all with fierce eyes and large beaks. The merchant present the three types of birds: broadwings, longwings, shortwings. He even talks about owls used in falconry, but they are very rare, he precise. The broadwings are obviously the bigger birds: golden eagles, buzzards. Brynden explains this is a gift for a little girl, and that those birds would be too difficult to handle for her, although she has trained with her father's birds. The merchant smiles, and presents the smaller birds: peregrine, lanner and gyrfalcons. Brynden turns to his nephew:

"What do you think, Edmure?"

The boy stares at each bird: there are dozens different and he looks at the merchants:

"I think my sister will want a male."

He exactly knows why his sister wants a falcon: she likes hunting; it is true, except she does not like killing animals herself. And he knows she will take good care of the bird. But she mostly does it to have a common point with Stannis. The merchant nods, and takes six cages:

"Those are the males I have."

"Do they have names?" Edmure asks.

"No. Their master is supposed to name them", Brynden explains and the merchant nods approving:

"Ser Brynden is right, m'Lord."

Edmure nods silently and stares at each of the bird: two are from each race. He immediately takes the gyrfalcons away: they are too big for his sister, in his opinion. He points at one of the two lanner falcons, the one with the most beautiful yellow eyes, and black marks under his eyes. The merchant smile:

"Very good choice, m'Lord. He's a fine hunter; he can kill preys an eagle would get."

He bows and prepares the falcon, putting him in a wider cage. Edmure proposes to hold the cage as Brynden pays the merchant and leaves with his nephew. They get back on horses and ride back to Riverrun.

Once they get here, they all gather in the evening to celebrate Aylis's name day. She squeals excited when she opens her gifts, and Edmure brings the falcon they bought, hidden under a clasps her hands and kisses her brother and uncle, who tells her:

"I hope you will like it."

Aylis hugs him and slowly takes the sheet off, gasping heavily when she sees the bird.

"Thank you, uncle! It's so beautiful!"

The falcon cries and Aylis opens the cage immediately, making it go on her arm and giving it meat.

"What is his name?" she asks, her eyes sparkling with happiness.

"It's a male, and the merchant said you had to find his name yourself."

Immediately, Aylis starts thinking about names. She wanted it to have a link with Stannis. _Stannis_. _No, of course not. Bara? No, sounds like a girl's name. She thinks very fast. Seat: Storm's End. Storm? No, she does not like it. Words: Ours is the fury. Fury!_

"I'll call him Fury", she nods proudly.

Edmure groans a bit:

"Fury is a girl's name."

"No it's not!" Aylis protests.

"Yes it is!" Edmure retorts.

"Children!" the loud voice of their father calms them down immediately. "This is supposed to be a happy day. Stop quarrelling and eat."

The cook had prepared a beautiful cake and they obediently sit at their places. Hoster nods at both of them and they all ate silently. The Lord of Riverrun is torn between the joy of celebrating his child's name day, and the sorrow this day represents for him. He chooses the happiness, not without having a thought for Minisa, his wife, who, he was sure, was taking care of all of them from where she was.

xxxxxxxxxx

The Tully family is reunited in front of the door leading to the Great Hall of their castle. Hoster checks silently on each of his children and Catelyn stares at the gate, her heart beating fast. Aylis looks up at her with a huge smile: within minutes, Brandon Stark will appear here. They would announce the date of their marriage during his stay at Riverrun. They hear horses neighing and, from the road, Brandon Stark leading some escort. He looks very handsome on his horse, still wearing furs from Winterfell, although the weather is way warmer in Riverrun. Catelyn stares at him smiling, and Aylis notices how Petyr is glaring at her. Brandon gets down from his horse and Aylis is very impressed by how tall he is. He is also very handsome, black mane and piercing grey eyes. He walks to Lord Hoster, greets him and then turns to Catelyn. She curtseys, followed by Lysa and Aylis, and Edmure bows. Lord Hoster introduces him to his other children and Petyr and they soon get in the castle, where Cat makes him visiting her home. Everyone is invited for a feast, and the Tullys are overjoyed to see Catelyn so happy. But the good mood does not last. The day after, Petyr decides to challenge Brandon for a duel: he tells him the winner will marry Cat. Brandon, outraged and known as being hot-blooded, immediately agrees to fight him. None of the Tullys try to reason them, and they all meet in the lower bailey. There, Edmure asks to be Brandon's squire and the young Stark accepts. The girls go with them and they watch Brandon putting on his armor, with Edmure's help. Then they see Petyr walking to them, wearing only a helm, breastplate and mail. As Brandon looks at him, he takes most of his own armor to keep only the same things than Petyr. This one turns to Catelyn:

"Would you give me your favor, Cat?"

She shakes her head, and gets to Brandon, gives him her favour and tells him:

"Please, do not kill him. He is like my brother."

Brandon smiles at her:

"Do not worry. I will spare him…as much as I can."

Hearing them only increases Petyr's anger, and he charges Brandon. Aylis yelps with fear and takes Lysa's hand, squeezes it tightly. Lysa is staring at the two young men fighting, but Brandon is way taller, stronger and better than Petyr. Her own hand squeezes her sister's as tight as she can. He would not even need to fight if he wanted her, and not Cat. She would give him everything he would ask. She would kill for him. If only he looked at her…

The swords shuffle pretty quick, but it's very quickly clear that Petyr is no match to Brandon. Aylis watches him getting dozens of cuts, and stumbling over, trying to avoid Brandon's sword the best he can. "Come on, boy, give in!" the young man shouts. Petyr shakes his head "Never!" and looks at Cat. Aylis feels he's not only talking about this duel… Brandon, who found all this pretty amusing at first, but who is now clearly pissed at Petyr, stops refraining himself. Lysa cries out when Petyr yelps with pain as Brandon's sword cut his shoulder. Blood rushes out, and Petyr falls on the ground, kneeling down. Brandon walks to him: "Give in", he orders him. Petyr breathes hard, and winces with pain as he stands up slowly. He has trouble even holding his sword now, but he stares at Brandon, and whispers: "Never". The Stark heir raises his sword, and, with a formidable backhand, makes him fall on the ground, unconscious, blood staining the fresh grass on which he has fallen. Lysa rushes on him and even Edmure stares at him, shaking like a leaf. Brandon wipes his sword and shakes his head, hands his hand out at Cat. She takes it without a single look at Petyr.

The boy is taken back to the castle and is healed: he has several wounds, some deeper than the others. He remains unconscious for a few days and, when he wakes up, Edmure goes to ask about him, but he refuses to see him. Lysa stays with him all the time, but Cat refuses to see him as well. Aylis does not hold any grudge at Petyr and decides to go see him. She has picked some flowers and has prepared a pretty bouquet for him. She walks in the corridors to his room and stands on her tiptoes to open the door. She leans on the handle and gasps with surprise: Lysa is with Petyr in bed, and they are naked, making strange noises. Aylis does not understand what is going on, but she feels she should not stay here. She closes the door back and comes back later, when the servants bring food to Petyr. He looks terrible, she thinks, but at least he is alive. He thanks her for the flowers, and they talk for a moment before she feels tired and leaves to her own room. On her way, she passes by Lysa, who has the brightest smile she has ever seen on her sister's face.


	15. Chapter 15

_Storm's End, 282 AC_

Stannis is woken up by a ray of sunshine crossing his room in his family's castle. He opens his eyes and closes them right after, dazzled by the sun. He has slept long, way longer than what he usually sleeps. He wraps the blanket tighter around his body and shivers slightly: the weather is cooler lately. He would want to get back to sleep: he feels so tired. He gets to bed early, falls asleep almost immediately, but he does not know a resting sleep. He dreams, all the time, every night, dreams which are exhausting. It is mostly the same dream, every night: he is a stag, and he plays, or follows, or listens to a trout. In the evenings, he feels eager to drift off to sleep and to find again these animals. He perfectly knows what the trout means. Sometimes, as he writes to Aylis, he would like to ask her if she makes weird dreams about stags. But he never dares so. He still enjoys their correspondence, but he still tries to keep her at a distance. Sooner or later, he will have to marry, and so will she. He though can feel in her letters that her feelings have not decreased. But, now, in his room, he shuts his eyes tight, hoping to get back to his dreams. A loud knock on the door makes him startle and groan:

"Yes?"

"It is morning, Stannis", Cressen's voice rings out.

Stannis sighs loudly and opens his eyes:

"I am awake", he says, loud enough so his maester can hear. He sits up in bed, and grabs a shirt to go have breakfast in the Great Hall. Renly and Robert are already here, and Stannis gently strokes Renly's hair as he sits by him, after saying good morning to Robert:

"Morning Stannis", Renly smiles huge.

"Good morning, Renly. How was your night?" he asks his brother.

"Good. And yours? I heard you again", Renly adds quietly after looking around him.

Stannis feels turning red beetroot. It is not the first time Renly says that. Robert stares at them and laughs:

"Stannis dreamt again of a girl!"

Renly giggles and Stannis wishes he could bury himself with shame.

"I do not dream of girls", he honestly said. It was true, that was the worst. Sometimes he wishes he could get out of his own body to look at himself sleeping. Obviously, it would be very interesting.

"You moan and you whimper", Renly asserts and Robert laughs even more.

"At least, it sounds good!" the oldest brother says.

Stannis doesn't reply and he eats the plate the servant has placed in front of him. Renly and Robert keep chuckling and laughing, and he does his best to stop listening to them.

"Come on Stannis!" Robert shouts and brutally slaps his back. "Chase this sternness away! You always look like you're in pain!"

Stannis groans slightly with pain and scowls at him: Robert just laughs and downs a glass of wine. Already. It is just morning. Stannis hates his brother's behavior. He misses the time when they were still boys, playing together, dueling like great knights. They were way older than Renly, who was still a boy, and thus, age had torn them apart instead of bringing them closer. And now, as Robert's marriage with Lyanna Stark is getting closer and closer, Stannis feels he would get along way better with Renly. But what would the boy become? He does not want him to be too influenced by Robert. But, as the eldest, Robert, once he will get married, will push Stannis to get married as well. They will have to live with Robert and Lyanna, and he does not think marriage would calm him down. Maybe Robert would send Renly away, as he has been sent away himself, to be fostered by some Lord. Maybe Stannis could become a knight, to protect his home. He would like that, he thinks, even though he would not be the best fighter. Renly sounds promising, he thinks as he looks at his younger brother walking out to get dressed.

"Have you thought about marriage?" Robert asks him and he is thrown out of his reverie.

"No", he says, feeling already sweaty at the idea.

"Well, you should. You're old enough now, Stannis. Half of our bannermen have daughters who would be perfect for a Baratheon", he swallows a piece of meat and stares at Stannis.

 _For a Baratheon. But for me?_

"Don't worry", Robert says to comfort him as he sees him looking down on his plate. "We will find you someone. You are a Baratheon."

Stannis hardly holds back a laugh: Robert does not understand. He never understood Stannis. But laughing at him will be insulting his Lord, so he just nods and finishes eating. As they decide to go have a ride after breakfast, Cressen rushes in the Great Hall, with a letter in his hand. Stannis stands up suddenly, fearing it comes from Aylis, and that something has happened in Riverrun. Seeing Cressen's face, the message does not bring good news. But Cressen walks to Robert, and not to Stannis. This one almost sighs with relief, before looking at Robert. He can see all emotions crossing his brother's face as he reads the letter. A smile first, when he sees the handwriting. Then, as he hears the first words, shock. And, at last, anger. Fury. Robert wraps his fist around the paper and crashed it furiously. Stannis stares at him: Robert looks down, staring at an invisible point on the ground. Stannis knows he is angry, but, usually, Robert expresses his anger fully: bellowing insults and punching people or things is Robert's way of being angry. Now, he looks calm. Looks only.

"What is it?" Stannis simply asks.

Robert holds his fist at him, and Stannis takes the parchment out, not without difficulty. He leans it on the table to smooth it and reads:

" _Dear Robert,_

 _Sorrow and worries make me write to you today. Brandon has received terrible news: Lyanna has been abducted, by Rhaegar Targaryen. We have no idea where she is, if she is still alive. No idea. I had to let you know. Brandon has left for King's Landing. I am scared for him._

 _I hope I can give you better news in my next letter._

 _Your friend,_

 _Ned"_

By the moment he has finished reading the letter, Robert has gone. Stannis follows him, Cressen right on his tracks.

"Where are you going?"

"Call the bannermen", Robert groans.

"What for?" Stannis stares dumbfounded.

Robert turns to her and yells:

"He has stolen my wife!"

"Are you going to start a war for this?" Stannis retorts calmly.

It has been a while since the demonstrations of Robert have stopped scaring him. Cressen has placed by his side, staying behind him.

"I am going to kill this miserable prince", Robert groans again.

"You cannot do anything, Robert. Please, listen to me, I…"

"You what?" Robert spats and Stannis receives a bit of his saliva on his cheek. He does not move.

"You don't know anything about love, you brat! If you had loved someone in your miserable life, you would react the same way than me!"

Stannis knows it is anger speaking. Anger, and fear. It still hurts him and makes tears birthing in his eyes. Robert stares at him, hoping for an answer, hoping they could settle this with a fight. He would pretend it is Rhaegar, he would beat the hell out of him and he would feel better after that. Fighting and having sex have always been his ways of taking things out. He feels a hand on his shoulder and looks up, surprised: it's Stannis. Their similar eyes stare at each other and Stannis says:

"I don't know how you feel, it's true. But I don't want to lose my brother. I know we are as different as night and day, but I love you. And I know you love me, even if you suck at showing it", he half smiles. Even Robert smiles, not used to see his brother use such words. Stannis says again: "Please, don't do anything stupid. Let Brandon Stark go to King's Landing and see what happens. You cannot risk everything."

Robert looks at him, then at Cressen, who nods slightly. He sighs, lays his hand on his brother's one and smiles slightly:

"What about this ride?"


	16. Chapter 16

_Riverrun, 282 AC_

Petyr has been sent home by Lord Hoster for a few weeks now. Lord Tully has been mad at him for dueling Brandon, threatening the alliance with the Starks he has been trying to establish. The boy has been so badly injured during this fight that Hoster has honestly thought he would pass away.

Today, Lord Hoster is working in his room, examining the new taxes ordered by King Aerys. He sighs as he thinks about his future son-in-law, off to King's Landing, despite Hoster trying to calm him down. _Stark's hot blood will be their doom_ , he thinks as he stares blankly through the window. And _Aerys is not known for being merciful_. He remembers last time he saw the King, at the Harrenhal tourney: how long and dirty his hair was. Seeing his hands and his 6 inches long nails have made him want to throw up. But, he is the King, and will be until his death. Then Rhaegar will get on the throne and life will probably be the same for most of people of Westeros. Singing songs with a harp does not feed people. Farmers feed people. Although, Rhaegar does not look mad or cruel. He will make the life of the Lords, and thus those of the small folk easier. A knock on the door makes Hoster start and he sits up in his chair, clearing his throat:

"Come in!" he says.

The door opens and Lysa gets in, grinning hugely. Hoster raises an eyebrow: his daughter has been pretty stern since Petyr left. Hoster has known she loved him almost right away. Girls, his girls even more, are not very good with hiding their feelings. When they try, at least. Seeing her genuinely happy warmed his heart and he gives her a sweet smile:

"Hello Lysa. You look happy"

Lysa rushes on him and hugs him tight:

"I am Father. I am so happy", she whispers in his ear and her hair tickles him, making him chuckle.

"I can tell", Hoster strokes her hair and looks at her. Her eyes are shining with happy tears:

"Father, I am with child."

Hoster's smile disappears as suddenly as it had come. He stands up brutally:

"Are you kidding me?"

Lysa startles and recoils, looking down:

"N-no", she mutters.

"Who is the father?" he asks, even if he knows the answer she is going to give him.

"Petyr", Lysa honestly says. "I wish to marry him, Father."

Hoster rubs his face and stares at her:

"This cannot be", he asserts.

Lysa looks up at him, and, on her face too, all sign of happiness has vanished.

"I do not want my child to be a bastard!" she protests. "I love him! I want to marry him!"

"A Baelish cannot marry a Tully", Hoster calmly explains. "They are too low born for you, my daughter."

Lysa snorts loudly:

"I do not care about this! He is nice and he loves me, I know he does. And he is smart, so smart, Father, you do not realize how high he is going to rise. One day, he will be more powerful than you", she provokes him.

Hoster does not answer the provocation: she is upset, he understands it well. He sighs and walks to her, takes her hands in his:

"You need to understand how things work in this world, Lysa. You are a noble girl, and you will marry who I tell you to marry. Even if you were a small folk, you will marry who your father tells you to marry. There are no such things as love marriage in Westeros. Love is slow to build; it does not happen on the spot. And when it does, it is a destructive love, just as what you have lived with Petyr. Do you think Cat loves Brandon? Do you think he loves her?"

Lysa shakes her head, tears rolling down on her cheeks:

"I don't know", she sobs.

"Alliances are created with marriage. Some of these marriages will remain loveless forever. And with some, love will happen, with time. I know it is hard to accept this, but, do not worry: we will find a man for you, who will love you and treat you well", Hoster says gently, his thumbs stroking the delicate skin of his daughter.

Lysa nods slowly: she does not want a man. She wants Petyr. But she has to obey her father, and marry the man he chooses for her, as Cat is going to marry Brandon Stark.

Hoster looks at her: he has not talked about the baby, but there are no choices here: she needs to get rid of it. He knows her: she will never agree and could do something really stupid like running away to find Petyr back. Lord Tully wraps his strong arms around his daughter and whispers:

"I will ask Maester Kym to prepare you something for the baby. Something to make it strong."

He feels her smiling against his cheek and she whispers:

"Thank you, Father. Please, find a man who will accept my baby…"

He shuts his eyes tight and nods:

"I will."

As she relaxes against him, he opens his eyes and stares blankly at the wall in front of them. _Forgive me…_

When she leaves, he joins Maester Kym and asks him to prepare moon tea. Kym is surprised but Hoster orders him not to ask anything and to just get the potion ready. Kym nods and bows before preparing it. In the evening, Hoster gets in Lysa's chamber with the tea and makes her drink it. She smiles and thanks him. He shivers with shame, but he knows this is the best solution. He knows how bastards are treated in Westeros and he does not wish this for his daughter. He kisses her brow and leaves. His sleep is much tormented this night.

He wakes up suddenly in the morning, yells ringing out in the castle: before he can stand up, Cat rushes in his room, Aylis and Edmure on her tracks:

"Father! It's Lysa! She is very sick!"

Hoster orders them to leave outside and that he will see Lysa. He does not need to: as soon as tey leave, Lysa arrives in his chamber. Wearing a nightgown, her beautiful hair tangled and half falling on her pale face, her mouth rolled over in a grimace of pain, she stumbles there.

"What have you done?" she yells with a hoarse voice, letting him think she has been yelling for a moment. "Look at what you've done?!" she yells louder, showing her nightgown, and blood staining the fabric between her legs.

"Lysa, pleas", Hoster starts but she starts yelling and crying at the same time.

"You have killed my baby! How dare you?!"

She collapses on the floor and sways, holding her knees, in a fetal position. How ironic it is… She does not yell anymore: she just cries, loudly, weeping over her dead baby.

"Petyr", she sobs. "Petyr… my baby… I'm sorry Petyr, I'm so sorry…"

Hoster stares at her, unable to move, unable to comfort her. She shouts, a terrible and weeping shout and she gives her father the most hateful look he has ever seen:

"I will never forgive you this! Never! You hear me, Father? You are nothing to me anymore! Nothing!"

Hoster does not answer. He just stares at her, raising his hand as if he wanted to move towards her, but lowering it down again and clenching his fists on the sheet. He does not know how long she stays here, but, when he looks up at her, she has left. He stands up and walks to the window: he sees Cat, Edmure and Aylis, lying on the grass, obviously having a talk all the three of us. Catelyn notices her father's figure and joyfully waves at him. In his chamber, Hoster, his face covered with tears, tries to smile and waves back at her.


	17. Chapter 17

_Storm's End, 282 AC_

Sit on the wooden chair, his arms folded on its armrest, his hands joined, his index fingers patting his mouth nervously; Stannis is staring at the two parchments Cressen has placed in front of him hours ago. One of the letters bears the seal of his house. The other, the seal of the Royal family, the Targaryens.

Cressen has given him three letters in the morning: those two, and one from Aylis. He has answered the Tully girl's and, since, then, has not been able to open the two others. Now, it is past lunch time, he has not swallowed anything, unable to, a knot in his stomach painfully preventing him from even drink a cup of water. He closes his eyes a moment, feeling the warm sun stroking his face, making the Baratheon seal shine. Stannis notices it and resolves to read the letter.

" _Stannis,_

 _I know you are totally aware of why I am writing to you, so I will not lose time: fight for me. You know what he did to the Starks. You know what his son did to me. You cannot fight for this tyrant. Know that if you choose him above me, I shall show no mercy to you, brother or not._

 _Your brother,_

 _Robert_."

His face remains impassible as he folds the parchment back and takes the other one. He breaks the seal and unfolds it completely:

" _To Stannis of House Baratheon,_

 _I, Aerys of House Targaryen, second of His name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first Men, Lord of the Seven kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, demands that you, Stannis of House Baratheon, answer my call to all of my subjects to subdue this infamous rebellion led by Jon of House Arryn, your brother Robert of House Baratheon and Eddard of House Stark. We, the noble Houses of Westeros, shall prevail and destroy every man, woman and child who supported the rebels. Now is time for you to choose: your King, or your brother. Respect the oath your ancestors sworn to my house, and I will name you Lord of Stom's End and Lord Paramount of the Stormlands. Choose the rebels, and I will kill each and every member of House Baratheon, erasing this family from Westeros forever._

 _King Aerys II of House Targaryen_."

Stannis closes his eyes a second before placing the parchment by his brother's letter. He has recognized Robert's handwriting, hasty and messy, when the letter from Aerys was certainly written by another person. The handwriting was too neat and beautiful for the Mad King, whom people say he is close to death. He has signed, tho, a trembling scribble at the end of the parchment.

He stands up and leaves the room, and the castle, silently. Handmaids are busy working, and no one sees him as he climbs down to the beach. He sits on the fresh sand and, staring at the calm sea; he takes his boots off and lets the foam lick his toes. He remembers has everything has started: it did not even start with Lyanna Stark's abduction, no. It has started when Brandon Stark rode to King's Landing and called at Rhaegar Targaryen. The prince was not here. "Come out and die", he had cried. The door has opened and Aerys Targaryen had walked out. He immediately imprisoned Brandon, and all the men who were with him, then sent a message to their fathers, held responsible for their son's faults. Aerys executed them as soon as they got to King's Landing but Rickard Stark asked for a trial by combat, and Aerys had agreed, but had chosen the fire as his champion. Dressed in his steel armor, ready to fight a kingsguard, Rickard had been suspended in the throne room, a fire burning under him. His son, Brandon, had a sword barely out of his reach and a noose around his neck. Everytime he had tried to reach the sword to save his father, the noose had strangled him a little more. Rickard had burnt alive, and Brandon had died strangled. As soon as they had died, Aerys had called for Eddard and Robert's head. This is when Jon Arryn had called his banner men, refusing to give in the young men who were like sons to him. Jon chose his feelings over his duty to the King and it is now his turn, Stannis's turn to make this choice.

He has done his duty, always has tried to, but now, he is lost. He has no father to advice him, Renly is too young to decide. Renly… He thinks about him. _Choose the rebels, and I will kill each and every member of House Baratheon._ Not the King's handwriting, but very clearly his words. He has to protect his brother. The wisest thing would be to stand by the King. He sighs deeply and lies completely on the sand. Being here has always helped him clearing things out but now, a million different thoughts cross his mind. Their father would have not wanted to see his boys divided. And what would happen if Robert wins this war? Stannis knows his brother; he knows he would never forgive betrayal, especially coming from his own family. At best, he would send his brother to the Wall. _His brother_ … Is fighting for an oath sworn hundreds of years ago more honorable than fighting alongside his brother? Shall his King prevail on his brother? What tells him Aerys does not think he is as responsible for this as his brother, and has already decided of his fate? The young man thinks about talking about it with Cressen but no, he needs to decide this alone. He turns his face to his castle, stares at it lengthily: Storm's End has never been the most beautiful castle of Westeros. It is not in a fertile land like Highgarden, it is not impregnable like the Eyrie or Casterly Rock. Still, it is his castle, the heritage of his family, and he loves it, with all his heart. He smiles slightly when he thinks again of all this fake fights he had against Robert, and he remembers it's in those woods he has found Proudwing, he remembers passing through the corridors and examining this weird pink thing who was crying and fidgeting and that his parents had called Renly. He could not forget about all this, turn his back on his family, on his brothers.

By the end of the day, he has made up his mind, and, when he joins the castle, barefoot, holding his boots in one hand, he calls at Cressen. The old maester joins him as Stannis is changing his clothes for the dinner.

"You asked for me, Stannis?" the Maester smiles at the boy.

"I have. How many men do we have here?" Stannis asks.

Cressen is taken aback with the question:

"A few hundreds, Stannis. I'd say 500."

Stannis grinds his teeth, not reacting. _500\. 500 men against the powerful houses that will stand by the Mad King_. Robert is in the Eyrie, and will probably march to King's Landing without caring about him. Still, he has made his choice.

"Empty the castle. The small folk need to stay away from it. Stock up on food, as much as you can. I need to write a letter. I will join you for the dinner later."

He puts on a shirt and sits at his desk when he notices Cressen has not moved at all. He looks at Stannis dumbfounded and Stannis stands back up, joins him and leans his hand on his shoulder. Staring at the old maester's eyes, he says firmly:

"We are at war."


	18. Chapter 18

_Riverrun, 282 AC_

« Father, you have to help them! »

Hoster Tully is facing his two daughters, Catelyn and Aylis, holding hands, staring stubbornly at their father.

The Rebellion has started since a few months already, but Hoster has not taken a side yet. He knows too well what he risks if he does so. But how could he explain politics to two young girls, who only see the glorious soldiers battling fiercely, when the armies of Riverrun stay home and safe. Catelyn has been the first to pledge for the Rebels, arguing Aerys had killed her betrothed. Which was true of course, but, still, Hoster has no desire to rush in a war which would lead to huge casualties among his men and his land. He thinks about the safety of his people, of course, but also of his children and their future. He could take advantage of a victory, whichever the side, but, for that, he must stay neutral.

The rebels had started by taking the port of Gulltown, after some of Jon Arryn's bannermen refused to followi him in the Rebellion and had decided to remain loyal to the King. Once they had won this battle, Robert Baratheon had joined his brother Stannis in Storm's End, and called for his own bannermen as well. There again, some denied the call, and intended to walk on Storm's End, but Robert heard about their plans, and forestalled them, beating them in Summerhall. With hostages, Robert has left again to Storm's End. The Rebellion could have ended shortly, but, as Robert had left Storm's End to march out, Randyll Tarly, the Lord of Horn Hill, a loyalist to the King, had defeated Robert for the first time. This one had escaped to join Jon Arryn and Eddard Stark, but Lord Tarly, with Lord Tyrell, had marched on Strom's End, and had been besieging the castle since then.

And today, Lord Tully has received messages from Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn, to negotiate his support to their cause. The girls are unaware of this, for the moment. But their enthusiasm to defend them almost makes him smile. He looks at them both, none of them are smiling, the two girls have this same resolved pout, and their blue eyes are darkened by anger. Hoster sits down, facing them:

"You do know our house has pledged an oath to the Targaryens", he explains.

Catelyn protests:

"He has killed my future husband!"

"Because Brandon had threatened his own son to death. What would have you done in his place, Cat?" Hoster asks calmly.

Slightly taken aback, Catelyn looks down but it is Aylis who protests in turn:

"Stannis is besieged! I have tried to send ravens, they do not come back! And I never get an answer! Maybe he is dead, and no one could know about it!"

Her eyes fill with tears but Hoster is not moved and says, a bit harshly:

"Stannis is nothing to you, child. Why would I care if he died?"

Even Cat looks up in a shock, and Aylis gasps loudly, hardly believing her father's words:

"I love him! You know I do!"

"Childish love! You will love your husband, and it is a man I will choose for you! Just like I have chosen Brandon Stark for Cat, and Jaime Lannister for Lysa, before the King decided to name him in the kingsguard!"

The loud voice of their father rumbles in the room and they take a step backwards. Hoster sighs with their reactions, and dismisses them quickly. This time, they do not say anything, and leave silently, Aylis crying softly, and Cat trying to comfort her, sending daggers to her father. Once he is alone, Hoster walks to his window and his eyes scrutinize his land. He knows he cannot escape this war and that, sooner or later, he will have to pick a side. Tywin Lannister, in Casterly Rock, will have to face the same decision. And with this decision would depend the future of their houses. Whoever might win this war will not spare any of the previous enemies. Robert would not care about the fact that Cat has been once betrothed to his best friend's brother. Aerys would not care there was a time where Tullys and Targaryens lived together in peace. This war is too sentimental, too focused on egos: Robert's one on a side, Aerys's on the other. Wars to defend a land are cleaner, in a way. Now, whatever comes out of this, Hoster feels this will remain in the memories as an ugly war, a war that could have been avoided. The Lords fight, but their soldiers die. If he has to pick a side, Hoster wants to be sure it would worth it. He wants to be sure the future of his family, of his children, would be granted. And, to be sure of this, there is no other solution than weighing in his daughters with the negotiation. He has to talk about that with his maester, so he could advise him on the best thing to do. Until now, he will have to check on the ravens of the aviary because the messages his stubborn girl is sending to a besieged man could be a catastrophe, both for him and her.

Aylis has joined her siblings, after wiping her tears away, and stays silently with them as they chat about the war. She hates that her father does not do anything to help Stannis. If he knew she would do anything to free him from the siege, maybe he would end up loving her. Sit on a chair in the children's room; she is knitting with Lysa and Cat, when Edmure is exercising himself with a sword. Unable to concentrate, she sighs, leaves her work and gets at the window to watch Edmure closely. She smiles slightly as she sees his enthusiasm, and wonders if one day, he will have to fight in a war, like their father, or if he will live his whole life in peace. _The future Lord of Riverrun_ , she thinks proudly. She knows that, by saying this, she is talking about their father's death, but she loves her brother, dearly, and is sure he will be a great Lord for their people. Being only one year apart, they have been very close the first years of their lives, but she has scorned him when he mocked her love for Stannis. At this souvenir, she loses her smile and clenches her fists tightly along her ribs. She will prove them wrong, all of them. Her father, her brother, her sisters. Soon enough, they will know that she gets everything she desires.


	19. Chapter 19

_Storm's End, 282 AC_

Carefully, his hand wraps around the leather halter. The horse recoils, his eyes rolling over. Whoever said horses are stupid animals have probably never met one. The tall bay gelding feels something is wrong. And even if the man clucks his tongue and that his hand caresses his neck, the horse does not trust him. He looks down at him, at the black hair and the blue eyes staring back at his black eyes. The man makes him step out of the stable and he sees the other horses watching him leave, curious. The horse shakes violently, terrified, and frail. He has not eaten for days, and the water the men give to them just allow them to survive. His hooves ring out against the grey cobblestones of Storm's End. He almost thinks the man is going to lead him out and allows him to eat fresh grass. It has rained a lot lately, and he imagines the wonderful taste of the green grass in his mouth. But the man does not lead him to a gate: he walks him to the far end of the castle. The horse stops there, and snorts loudly, refusing to go further. He knows too well what happens at the far end of the castle. He neighs desperately and rears, almost trying to knock the man out. But he escapes his hooves and orders him to calm down. His grip on the halter tightens and he leads the horse with authority. They arrive in a calm spot of the castle, surrounded by the tall walls. The horse knows it is because the things that happen here should not be seen by everyone. Another man is waiting for him, wearing a protective apron. He rears again when he sees the big knife the man holds in his hand and the man who led him there holds him firmly. The man with the knife gets closer and, in a swift movement, slits his throat. Blood rushes out, splashes on the two men and on the ground, staining it red. The pain makes him neigh louder than ever, he tries to breathe out but, after only a few seconds, he whimpers and falls loudly on the ground. His eyes meet the man's blue ones, and then stare blankly at the sun shining on his body.

Unable to move for a moment, Stannis stares at the dead horse's body. The butcher examines it and turns to Stannis:

"We will have meat for days with him, if we carefully impose rationing."

Stannis nods silently and walks out, leaving the butcher to cut the carcass. He walks by the stables and notices how the horses stare at him: he looks at his clothes and realizes they are covered with blood. Looking away, he leaves to the inside of the castle, to his chamber.

They had been besieged for weeks now, and had run out of food a few days ago. The horses would provide them with good meat, and they had been unable to feed them as well. Stannis, from his chamber, can see the Tyrell and Tarly forces, just in front of the castle. Last night, the smell of their feasts had almost driven men crazy and it has been then Stannis has decided he would start killing the horses off. Some men have talked about surrendering the castle, but Stannis has refused: Robert has told him to hold the castle, and that is what he will do. He quickly takes his shirt off, and cleans it up, before taking another one and going to see Renly. He knocks on the young boy's door, and comes in when the weak voice of Renly tells him to: he is laid on his bed, curled up in a fetal position, wincing with pain. Stannis has always privileged him for food, not because he is his brother, but because he is just a child. But now, the boy has to starve, as everyone else. Maester Cressen is by his side, holding the little kid's hand, and looks up at Stannis: he has lost a lot of weight as well, the old and the young are always the ones who suffer the most when it is about hunger. Stannis sits by Renly and looks at Cressen:

"How is he?"

"He is weak", Cressen whispers, not willing to panic the boy. Stannis surprisingly half smiles:

"He will be better soon."

Renly weakly turns to his brother:

"Has Robert arrived?"

"No Renly. But I have found a way to feed ourselves", Stannis explains, his hand grabbing Renly's little one and squeezing it comfortingly.

"H-how?" Renly asks.

"The horses", Stannis does not give further details.

"Horses? That's…gross…" Renly protests weakly, "I don't want to eat horses…"

"Renly, you need to understand the situation", Stannis says a bit harshly. But hunger has a strange power over men, and he cannot escape it. He feels how his stomach rumbles, how it craves for food, how his clothes are all way too big for him now. He has not the patience to explain Renly about how a war is won. "We don't have food anymore", he keeps saying, staring at his brother's face. "And the horses don't have food either. They will all die. It is better if we make the most of their meat. A single horse can feed us all. You need to understand that. My own horse will have to die; your horse will have to die as well. I am sorry, but there are no other ways."

Renly starts crying softly, burying his face in the sheets:

"Where is Robert? I want Robert!"

Stannis grinds his teeth angrily: Robert, Robert! Robert is not taking care of him; Robert is not making sacrifice to feed him! He closes his eyes to calm down the wave of anger that could make him say things he would regret later. He is just a boy, after all. A boy who is terrified and who sees his oldest brother as the hero who is going to free them. Stannis understands, even though it aches more than hunger right now.

"We have no news from him", he honestly answers. "But I am sure he will soon help us."

This one was less honest. But one thing is sure: Robert is alive. If he was not, Stannis would know. They have not received any news and of course, are unable to send ravens. Stannis did not even try: he has seen two ravens, a few weeks apart from each others, trying to reach the castle, and getting killed by the archers of his enemies. He would never know what the letters would say. What he does not know is that the enemy could not know either, the letters stained by the blood of the raven, when the other one has fallen into the sea. The soldiers had not bothered themselves to look for it, and have burnt the other message. Back in Renly's room, the boy nods slowly and Stannis stands up:

"As soon as it is ready, I will bring you food, alright?"

The boy closes his eyes but nods. Cressen smiles and nods at Stannis, and he walks out of the room, leaning against the closed door a second, before going to his men.


	20. Chapter 20

_Riverrun, 283 AC_

Lord Tully decides to start negotiations with Eddard Stark and Jon Arryn: they last for several weeks. Eddard and Jon have joined Riverrun after the Battle of Ashford, where Robert has known his first defeat: Eddard had joined Winterfell and Robert managed to unite his forces with him and Jon Arrryn's. Then, they had started talks with Lord Tully, and managed to find an agreement: Hoster would join his forces to the Rebels.

Today, the Tully children are all reunited to bid farewell to their father and uncle, dressed up in his armor, ready to leave to the battle. Lysa is the only one who does not cry, and refuses to kiss her father goodbye. As they watch them and the army walking away, Lysa gets back in without a word, and Catelyn comforts the two little children, Aylis and Edmure. Riverrun becomes stern and sad, the children not being up to laugh and have fun with their father away in such terrible times. Aylis feels desperate and cries almost every day, realizing she could lose both her father and the man she loves. The words her father spoke when she tried to convince him to fight alongside the Rebels have not been forgotten, yet forgiven. It has been imprudent from them both to tell their father what to do: he is a Lord, and knows what is best for his people. Aylis is more determined now than ever to prove him wrong. She misses Stannis's letters, and often reads the previous ones again, imagining him writing to her. She wonders how he is now, how he copes with the war. No one knows if he is still alive, but she knows it. She feels it in her heart. And she is sure that the loyalists would not miss an opportunity to claim everywhere the brother of the rebel is dead, if he really is. After spending some time alone in her room, Aylis decides to join Edmure and Cat: they need to be united and strong, more than ever.

The children cannot count how many weeks their father spend away from them: they just receive a raven one day, written by their uncle, stating that their father has been wounded, not deadly although, by Jon Connington in the Battle of the Bells. Robert, injured in the battle before, has sought refuge in Stoney Sept, and, from there, the Rebel army has joined him to get him back. The Loyalists and the Rebels have fought fiercely in the town, but Robert has healed from his wounds and has joined his army, fighting Jon Connington in a duel, almost killing him. The Rebels have won the battle, Brynden writes, and Jon Arryn's cousin has died. At this point, the handwriting changes, and they recognize their father's one, but more shaky than usually. The children beam and read eagerly: there are just a few lines, writing to Catelyn and Lysa. They say that Jon Arryn needs an heir, and that Hoster has promised him Lysa's hand. As for Catelyn, he precises he would follow the old tradition that says the next in line needs to marry his eldest sibling's betrothed, in case he would not live long enough to marry her. Thus, Cat is promised to Lord Eddard Stark, now heir of Winterfell. The girls are not overjoyed; more relieved to know their father is well and will soon come back at them, at least for a time. When they live for dinner, Lysa is as white as a sheet, and Cat starts talking about eddard. They have seen him, once, during the Tourney of Harrenhal, but Cat couldn't take her eyes off Brandon back then, and has barely noticed his brother.

During the following days, Lysa does not eat anything: she has not forgotten Petyr and she knows this betrothal to Lord Arryn sounds like the death of her relationship with Petyr. She writes to him, desperate, begging him to come and abduct her as Rhaegar has done with Lyanna Stark. He answers her, but avoids the subject, saying he is sure Jon would be a perfect husband for her. She cries her eyes out when she receives the letter, and does not answer.

When Hoster, Eddard and Robert reach Riverrun, the four children are here to welcome them. Forgetting about the protocol, they rush in their father's arms, except for Lysa, of course. She glares at him, and curtseys respectfully in front of the one who will soon be her husband. Jon bows back, smiling at her. The wedding is organized for the following day and Lysa thinks about throwing herself from the window: Jon is already old, and she thinks he is ugly. Jon is forty years older than her; could her father not find a more suitable man for her? She is convinced it is her father's punishment for having slept with Petyr, and having been pregnant with his child. The Starks and the Arryns are not the only ones who battle with her father, and Eddard has a younger brother. She spends her night crying and pitying herself and the awful life she will lead with this man.

Catelyn, on the contrary, is pretty pleased with her new betrothed: shorter than Brandon, he is also less handsome, but he has a sweet smile and looks calmer and gentler than his dead brother. She sleeps fast during the night, and lets her handmaids prepare her the following morning. She gets in the Sept with Lysa, unable to notice how her sister looks miserable. But Jon, even if he is old, looks sweet and nice, and Lysa should be happy to become the Lady of the Eyrie soon. She obviously does not care, and Cat decides to enjoy her wedding day, without thinking about her sister. Their husbands have to leave the day after, to get back to the war. Catelyn silently hopes Eddard will survive this and will come back to her, so they live happy and in peace in Winterfell.

After the ceremony, they all gather for a feast, and, as he laughs and smiles watching the people dance, Robert's eyes stop on Aylis. Overjoyed to see her father again, the little girl has been a ray of sunshine since they are here. Dancing with her sisters and her brother, her laugh rings out in the Great Hall and Robert motions her to join him. She glances at her sisters and giggles before obeying and curtseys in front of Robert:

"My Lord", she greets him.

"What a beauty you already are, child! How old are you?" Robert asks.

"I have turned 8 on my last name day, my Lord", she answers politely, her cheeks red with the dance, her chest rising up and down fast.

Robert takes her little hand in his and lays a slight kiss on it, making her blush:

"I am sure you will find a great man to marry with. As long as he is not a Targaryen, right, Lord Tully?" Robert grabs his cup and drinks a large gulp of wine, before laughing with his own joke. Most of the men follow him and Aylis says:

"Oh! I do not wish to marry a Targaryen, my Lord!"

"Lord Tully, you have the most perfect girl of Westeros!" Robert shouts and laughs again. But Hoster does not: he glares at Aylis, and, with a movement of his head, makes her understand that it is better if she joins her siblings. The girl curtseys and obeys, Robert still watching her. As she goes back to her dance, he takes his chair and sits by Hoster:

"Tell me, have you found a husband for this one?" he points at Aylis, holding a cup of wine.

Lord Hoster shakes his head politely:

"She is too young."

Robert wraps his arm around his shoulders:

"You have united your house with the Arryns and the Starks, but you miss the most important house! Mine!"

He laughs again and Hoster smiles politely:

"Explain yourself, Lord Baratheon. I am scared I do not understand."

"You have a single daughter. I have two brothers. Damn, I would marry her myself, if I was not already betrothed!" he laughs again.

And suddenly, Hoster sees the way of making a very profitable marriage, as a way of making at least two of his daughters happy. He holds back a smile and turns to Robert:

"Stannis, then?"

"Stannis", Robert nods. "If this killjoy survives the war. If he dies, Renly will be perfect."

Hoster nods and shakes Robert's hand:

"I wish I would wait the end of the war to let her know, if it is okay with you, my Lord."

"Of course! They will be married when she will have bled."

Robert slaps gently his back and laughs again. Hoster takes his cup, clings it with Robert's and drinks, a smile roving on his lips as he watches his daughters dancing.


	21. Chapter 21

_Storm's End, 283 AC_

Stannis is woken up by a hand shaking him violently. He sits up in bed and turns to the soldier who has gotten into his chamber. "My Lord, we are attacked", the soldier says breathless. Stannis swiftly leaves his bed, and puts his armor on, before joining his men on the battlements of the castle. From time to time, the Tyrells decide to launch an attack on the castle. Every time, Stannis and his men manage to repel them, but their forces are weaker and weaker. Once again, the Tyrells are defeated, and go back to their camp right in front of the castle. There are dozens of dead men among the castle's soldiers, and they burn the bodies, unable to bury them properly. Stannis visits the wounded soldiers and he sees Donal Noye, Storm's End's smith, sit against a wall, breathing hardly and his left arm really in a bad state. The young Lord kneels next to the man, who forces himself to smile:

"Don't worry, my Lord. I'll be fine."

Stannis calls at Cressen and looks worriedly at him as he examines the man's arm. Noye has forged his first swords, and Robert's war hammer. They both think highly of him. He was welcoming them warmly when they wanted to see him work: Stannis especially, has been very curious when he had told him he was going to forge his sword. He had wanted to be there with every step of it, and Donal had agreed nicely.

Cressen stands up again, and takes Stannis apart:

"The wound has started to be infected, my Lord. I will try to stop it, but if I fail… we will need to cut his arm off…" he whispers, not willing Donal would hear this.

Stannis pales a bit and nods:

"Do everything you can."

"My Lord?"

He turns to the butcher of the castle:

"What is it?" Stannis asks.

Within weeks, everybody has been calling him "my lord" and he has stopped correcting them: Robert is the Lord of Storm's End. But Robert is not here, and Stannis is the one who gives the orders, who takes care of the soldiers. Until Robert frees them, Stannis is their Lord. The man bows and hastily says:

"I have just realized the horse meat is almost done, my Lord."

Stannis holds back a loud sigh, and walks out with the butcher, to not scare the soldiers uselessly:

"What else do we still have?"

The butcher looks down, afraid:

"Speak up", Stannis orders.

"No-nothing my Lord… It's over…"

Stannis walks away a moment to think about it. This cannot end like this. And Robert, where the hell is he?... The Tyrells had taunted Stannis by yelling about Robert sharing a feast with Lord Tully in Riverrun, when his brother was starving to death with his men. Stannis had refused to believe them. He turns around again to face the butcher:

"How long can we hold?"

"A few days, I would say, my Lord", the butcher says.

Stannis nods and goes to see how Renly is.

He has been with his little brother for a few hours, reading to him, as the young boy is too weak to even hold a book, and a soldier comes in again:

"My Lord! Come, quick!"

Renly does not even protest when Stannis leaves:

"What, now?" he asks the soldier.

"Deserters, my Lord!" the soldier adds quickly, leading Stannis out.

Stannis's heart skips a beat. Deserters. How could it be? He grinds his teeth furiously, and follows the soldier, who leads him to four men. He feels his heart breaking when he recognizes Ser Gawen Wylde, the master-at-arms of Storm's End, who is obviously the leader of the little group. A knight, ready to surrender to the enemy. The young soldier stands by them:

"We caught them, my Lord. They were trying to sneak out a postern gate to join the Tyrells."

Stannis could ask them why they had done this, but it would be useless. The hunger has been making the men awful things. But had they forgotten he was suffering the same things than them? Had they forgotten he sometimes gave his ration to Renly, because the young boy needed to eat way more than him? He could have almost understood this treason if he would feast alone, and keep all the food for him, but it is not the case. They are unforgivable. The hunger has effects on him too: he has stopped having belly pangs, but sometimes, he had hallucinations and he was more moody than ever. Grinding his teeth, he turns to the young soldiers:

"Tie them up and place them on a catapult. If they want to join the Tyrells, we will help them do so."

"My lord, please!" Ser Wylde begs.

"How dare you beg me, Ser? I am simply granting your request", Stannis slyly retorts. He nods at the soldiers and they start strapping them on the catapults, the four deserters begging for their lives.

"My Lord…"

Another voice rings out, sweet and calm: Maester Cressen has joined them, and nods at Stannis. The young Lord walks to him and whispers, angrily:

"What?"

"We should not waste meat, my Lord" Cressen says, staring at Stannis's eyes. "Lock them in the cells. They could be useful…later… if the help does not come to us…"

Stannis stares dumbfounded at the old maester:

"Are you telling me you want to…eat them?" he asks him, glancing at the four men still begging.

"We won't have another choice if we are not freed quickly, my Lord."

Disgusted by the thought, Stannis nevertheless turns to his men and orders that they be locked in cells. Cressen nods at him, and the young man goes back to Renly.

A few days later, he is called by Maester Cressen: Donal's infection has spread, and the arm needs to be cut off. Donal does not react when Stannis tells him so, and turns his tired face to him:

"So now my Watch begins?..."

"You do not have to join the Night's Watch… We could find you a place in the castle, when the war ends…" Stannis protests weakly.

"I was made to forge arms, my Lord, you know it. I have loved serving your father and your brother after him. If I make it during this bloody war, I will join the Night's Watch. I could not stand seeing another man doing my duty. You know I would always be on his back", he laughs and winces immediately, his arm painful whenever he moves. "Chop this off, my Lord, please…"

Stannis stands up, gives him a sad look and unsheathes his sword. He digs it into a fireplace, and leaves it for a moment before taking the red blade out of it. Donal winces when he sees it:

"I guess it is gonna be bloody painful…"

Stannis holds his sword, as another man places the arm in the good position, making Donal yelp with pain.

"Ready?" Stannis nods and stands above him. The blacksmith nods fast, Stannis swings the sword and the yells of the armorer ring out until the ears of Mace Tyrell and his men.


	22. Chapter 22

**_!PLEASE READ!_**

 ** _I wanted to warn you readers: I am NOT gonna follow the L+R=J theory. For personal reasons and reasons linked with the future of this fanfiction. Please, don't hate me for this._**

 ** _Also, I am going to change the title of the fanfiction because, when I first started to write it, I wanted to write a lot very fast and I chose the most banal title I could find. So the title is gonna change!_**

 ** _Please rate and review, it means a lot to me!_**

 ** _Enjoy this chapter!_**

* * *

 _Riverrun, 283 AC_

The room is quite big, enlightened by candles burning, placed on each corner of it. A little bed is placed against the stone wall; a wooden desk stands against the opposite wall, by the window. It is dark outside, and the moon reflects on the water of the river that runs by the castle. On the bed, three girls are sit one behind each other. The eldest is plaiting a younger one, herself plaiting a much younger girl, sit in front of her. Catelyn winces a bit, and stops plaiting Lisa's hair suddenly, getting pale. Lysa turns to her:

"Are you okay, Cat? You are so pale."

Feeling nauseous, Catelyn rubs her stomach gently: Aylis has turned to her as well, and her sisters look worried. Cat mumbles:

"I'm fine", and goes back to her plaiting.

For a moment, the room is silent and the only sounds we hear is the ones of the soft swishing of the hair and the ribbons wrapped around it to hold the plait back. Aylis turns to her sisters, grinning:

"How does it feel to be married?" she asks excitedly.

Lord Tully has not said anything to his daughters about the arrangement he has concluded with Robert Baratheon. Firstly, because he wants the war to be over to talk about it. Secondly, because he highly doubts Stannis will make it to the end of the war. He does not know the boy very well, but he is besieged for months already, and if, until now, he has held on, nothing says he will not die tomorrow, or next week, or next month. Nothing is certain. Thus, none of his children know about the arranged wedding of Aylis and Stannis.

Lysa shrugs, when Catelyn smiles:

"It is very pleasant… Would be more if the marriage did not occur in the middle of a war", Catelyn explains, placing a lock of hair behind her ear and blushing slightly.

"I can't wait to getting married!" Aylis clasps enthusiastically.

"You have time", Lysa says to refrain her joy. "And you say that because you think you're gonna marry your Stannis."

She says his name with so much disdain Aylis clenches her fists to not jump on her and slap her. Even if she's little, she knows she would beat her easily. But what Lysa says first calms her down immediately:

"Us girls don't marry the man we love. We marry the man we're told to marry."

There is so much sadness in her voice when she says that that Aylis looks down and feels tears in her eyes. She should speak to her father and tell him, for once and for good, that she will never accept to marry another man than Stannis. She will leave to the Silent Sisters if she must, but it will be him or no one. Anyways, she is the youngest. Edmure will inherit Riverrun and Lord Tully will give him a great bride, Cat and Lysa are already allied to the greatest house of the North and the invincible knights of the Vale. The future of the Tully blood look bright, she could not bring much more to it. She looks at Catelyn, who frowns at what Lysa has said, and decides to cheer them up a bit:

"And how is the first time?"

They both wince:

"Bloody painful", Cat says and Lysa, for once, nods approving.

"Oh… Really?... How does it feel like?" she asks.

She has always imagined it to be very romantic and pleasant. Cat frowns again:

"You are too young to think about such things, Aylis. Father will not marry you before you first bled."

"I know! I'm just curious", she protests but barely stops herself from blushing.

Lysa lies down on the bed and shrugs:

"Nothing to be happy about, really. It is painful, it feels like someone is tearing your guts in two. Awful…"

Aylis shivers with horror but then holds back a smile: she is sure Stannis will be sweet and gentle, and would never hurt her. She has already seen Edmure's willie, and there is nothing to worry about. She just nods and Catelyn leaves the bed:

"I don't feel well… I'm gonna see Maester Kym is still awake."

"Alright", Aylis says and they watch their sister leaving silently. Lysa leaves the bed in turn:

"She is pregnant", she softly says, almost sadly again.

"Really?" Aylis grins huge, before losing his smile when Lysa nods slowly.

"How do you know? " Aylis asks suspiciously.

Lysa looks away and quickly invents a lie:

"I remember how Mother was when she was expecting you. She had felt sick at first too, and barely ate. Just like Cat."

Aylis looks like she believes her and she sighs with relief. Lysa looks out by the window, wondering how life is in the Eyrie. She does not love her husband, he is old, pretty ugly and smelly, but at least, with him, she will be far from Riverrun and from her father. Will she stay in touch with her sisters? She does not know, honestly. They would remind her of her father, and she does not know if she could stand it. It is hard enough to look at him, be in the same room than him, pretend being happy with this awful marriage, share his food, and having to hear they owe him everything. In a way, she understands Aylis's haste to get married, even though she knows it has nothing to do with her own motivations. She turns to her little sister and suddenly hugs her tight, which is quite unusual from her. Aylis, after a moment of surprise, wraps her arms around her:

"I will go to bed. Goodnight, little sister", she whispers with the softest voice she has ever used to talk to Aylis.

"Goodnight Lysa. I love you", Aylis whispers with a smile.

Lysa kisses her head, and walks out of the room to join her bedroom. Aylis waits for Cat for a while, but she does not come back, and she walks through the corridors to join her warm bed. She pushes the door of her room and steps in. Moving the white sheets away, lighting a candle; she slips in and shivers slightly when the warmth of the bed touches her cold feet. She stares at the weak flame on her candle and wonders, as every night when she goes to bed, if Stannis is okay, if he is alive, if he does think about her. He probably does not, she knows it, he is a man, he is at war, and has to protect his castle and his people from his enemies. She admires him so much for doing so, she admires men in general. People say women have to cope with a lot of things, but men have to as well. She closes her eyes when tiredness becomes too strong to fight, and whispers "Goodnight, Stannis", before drifting off to a sleep filled with dreams of him.


	23. Chapter 23

_Storm's End, 283 AC_

The castle is silent since a few days: horse meat has been eaten completely, and the men are now slowly starving. No one speaks, or moves more than necessary. The smell of urine and shit spread everywhere, as some men cannot hold themselves back anymore, is awful. Leant against the stone walls, staying in their own faeces, the men are dying slowly.

As their commander, Stannis must remain strong, but it is more and more difficult, even for him. His eyes look like two big holes in the middle of his scrawny face, he has started to lose his hair because of malnutrition and his ribs can be seen when he is shirtless. This morning, when the men have not eaten anything since a week, he walks down to them, and says to the strongest of them:

"Soldiers, kill the cats."

"The… the cats, my Lord?" their eyes shine with greed.

Stannis nods:

"The dogs can be useful in case we are attacked once more. And, if the siege keeps going, the rats will be eaten as well. Without the cats, there will be a lot of them. So kill the cats. All of them."

The soldiers nod back and the first cat they take suffers awfully. The men are so hungry they barely even cook the meat. They grab it, ten of them, and eat it alive, the poor animal screaming with pain and terror. Luckily, there are hundreds of cats in the whole castle and, once the men have eaten a bit; they kill them in cleaner ways, with arrows and knives.

Stannis brings food to Cressen and Renly, both lied down in beds. Maester Cressen had collapsed a few days ago, and Stannis, since then, has refused him to stand up or do anything. When a man is injured, he goes to Cressen. The maester shoud not leave his bed, or this room. He is too weak.

They want to eat eagerly when they see the food and Stannis tries to restrain them the best he can. He understands their hunger, but eating too fast could only make them sick, and throwing up would not help them gaining forces. He decides to give them food, himself, holding a spoon and feeding them as he would do with a baby. Renly almost cannot open his mouth anymore, and Stannnis needs to gather his whole patience to feed them. When the plates are empty, they beg for more, but Stannis tells them they need to wait for a few hours. Renly falls asleep soon, and Stannnis sits by Cressen:

"How do you feel?" he asks him.

The maester takes his hand and squeezes it weakly. Stannis leans his own hand on his and tries to smile:

"You know what I would like, Stannis?" the weak voice of the maester says, so weakly Stannis has to lean down to hear him.

"No, tell me", Stannis whispers.

"I want to see you laugh, at least once. I want to see you happy, boy", Cressen says, his eyes watering suddenly. He tries to regain his composure, and Stannis whispers:

"I have no reason to laugh right now, Cressen. I know what you mean, and I thank you for caring about me. When everything will be over, maybe I'll find a reason to be happy."

The young Lord wishes so much to fulfill Cressen's wish, but he cannot pretend. He has never known how to do so, and he is not sure he wants to know how to do. Maybe he'll survive this war and be happy, one day. Maybe he'll die here, with his men. Maybe even his men would mutiny against him and sends his head to the Tyrells. Nothing is certain. Nothing is predictable.

Cressen nods slowly:

"I love you, Stannis. You are my favorite, among your brothers. I know I should not have one, but I cannot help it."

Stannis does not like this speech: it sounds like a confession, as if Cressen is giving up on his life. He holds the maester's hand in his tighter:

"I forbid you to die. You understand?"

Cressen smiles slightly and stares at the eyes of his master:

"I remember when you were born. There was a terrible storm this night, and your mother wanted to have the windows opened. Sometimes, we were receiving some water from the ocean. The candles were burning by her. She was brave, so brave, Stannis… And, when you came out, it was almost on your own. You looked at me, you didn't cry, you stared at each of us, your eyes wide opened… Then you crawled and found your mother's breast alone. You have always been strong Stannis. Stronger than Robert, stronger than Renly. Always…"

The young man stares back at him, unable to say whatsoever, moved by this story of course. He has never heard it, but the moment Cressen decides to tell him scares him. He repeats:

"You will not die."

 _Stannis…_ the Maester thinks. _Stannis, why are you so cold? Why do you hide your feelings so much? Why do you hide from me, when I have known you since you were born?_ _Why don't you allow yourself to be sweet, to be a boy, when you have tried your whole life to act like a man?_

He keeps his thoughts to himself and, as Stannis stands up again, he looks at him, and turns on a side to watch him leave. He closes his eyes, and drifts off to sleep.

Once he is out, Stannis leans against the wall, trying to control the sudden emotion that overwhelms him. He needs a few minutes, where, every time tears come to his eyes, he breathes slowly to stop them. When he feels ready enough, he joins his men again but walks directly to the aviary. They had eaten the crows, and the only birds that remain are Proudwing and Thunderclap. Stannis opens their cage and makes them stand on his forearm, side by side. He walks to the far end of the castle, checks on the Tyrell forces: they are feasting, drinking and laughing. The moment is ideal. He gets to the first floor, and opens a window carefully. Thunderclap immediately flies away to the trees, when Proudwing looks at his master with big eyes.

"You need to go", Stannis whispers, his folded finger stroking the soft feathers.

Proudwing cries softly but does not move:

"Come on. I cannot feed you. You're big enough to take care of yourself", Stannis says, holding his arm by the window.

She still doesn't move and holds tighter on him when he moves his arm. He stays there for a few minutes, begging, threatening her, but she does not move and he ends up using violence, regretfully. He slaps her head, first gently, and she protests, bites his finger, but still does not fly away. Stannis sighs and does it brutally a second time, and this time, Proudwing cries louder and flies away. In a minute, she has disappeared and Stannis hates himself for what he has done. What choice has he? She would have died starving, it is difficult enough to feed the men, and he cannot waste food for her or for Thunderclasp. He leaves back to his men and, the following day, they find a dead rabbit in the courtyard. They cook it of course, even though it can barely feed a few men, and Stannis gives the meat to the weakest of his men. Once he is alone, he goes back to the window, and smiles slightly as he stares at the trees facing him.


	24. Chapter 24

_Riverrun, 283 AC_

The night is dark, huge threatening clouds darkening the sky of the Riverlands. Sit by the window, Aylis cannot resolve herself to sleep. She stares at the landscape in front of her, guessing, despite the bad weather, the shapes of the trees, the sound of the two rivers running around the castle. She hears the sound of her door opening and she sees Cat walking in. She looks surprised to see her little sister still awake. Aylis smiles huge when Cat joins her, and her eyes immediately wander to her bump, which is pretty obvious now. The eldest daughter of Lord Tully holds her kidneys as she sits down and winces slightly.

"Are you okay, Catelyn?" Aylis asks worried.

She is always scare something is wrong with the baby. Catelyn smiles at her:

"I am fine, Aylis, thank you. I just feel so heavy and fat", she makes a face. Aylis takes her hand:

"You are gorgeous, Cat", she says very sincerely.

Pregnancy has turned Cat into a real woman: she had grown up all of a sudden, her breasts have developed quickly and her hips have grown larger. Aylis has been excited right from the start when she learnt that Cat was going to have a baby. Seeing how young she is, it would mostly sound like a little brother than a nephew to her. Edmure has been pretty distant from this moment, and Aylis thinks it's because it's hard for him to realize Catelyn is gonna soon be more a wife to Ned and a mother to this baby than his sister. Lysa has been cold as always, repeating all the time she cannot wait to leave for the Vale. Is she jealous of Cat? Aylis thinks so, but why? Lysa will be pregnant soon too, she is young and men can father children way later than women. Aylis has decided to stop worrying about her: she is acting so nastily towards everyone, their father, their brother, the maids, everyone. Secretly, everyone is eager to see her leave. But the war lasts: they don't have news from their father, riding alongside with Robert and Ned Stark. She remembers the night of the wedding of her sisters: she had thought Robert was very handsome, and had wondered why Lyanna Stark would run away from him to go with a man who looked nothing like human. She shivers when she remembers how Aerys looked like during the Tourney of Harrenhal. She hopes, with all her heart, that this King is going to die, and that her family will be safe. She is brought back to reality when Cately gasps loudly:

"What is it?" she swiftly turns to her.

"The baby is kicking!" Cat exclaims, squealing with joy and surprise.

She swiftly grabs Aylis's hand and places it on her bump. Aylis stares at it, waiting. And suddenly, against her hand, she feels the baby moving, not only kicking, as if he was turning around in his mother's womb.

"Gods", she whispers, marveled at the feeling and looks up at Catelyn.

"How does it feel?" she asks her, not moving her hand away.

"It feels honestly weird", her sister confesses. "But it means the baby is healthy, and strong. That's what Maester Kym and Maester Luwin say."

Aylis nods at her and keeps stroking her belly. Maester Luwin is the Maester of Winterfell but he has been sent here to care for the future heir of Winterfell. He doesn't have much to do though: Catelyn is fine, the baby is too and everything is made to turn this pregnancy as comfortable as possible.

"We should go to bed", Aylis ends up saying after a long silence, and slips her hand off her sister's belly.

Catelyn nods silently and kisses her sister's cheek before heading to her own bedroom.

A few weeks later, while Catelyn is closer and closer to give birth, they receive a raven from their father, writing down to them that Rhaegar Targaryen has been killed during a battle, and that the war was almost won. He is fine, he precise, but most men have died. Then, apart from the main letter, a smaller one where he explains how the battle occurred to Edmure, who reads fascinated. The booming voice of Robert commanding his men, Ser Lyn Corbray destroying the Dornishmen and killing their prince, Lewyn, the loyalist army broke and leaderless after Rhaegar's death, running back to King's Landing with the survivors, and then, Barristan Selmy, one of the men the most loyal to Prince Rhaegar, healed by Robert's own maester when most of Robert's men advised him to kill him. But Robert rewards bravery, maybe to his own expense. Behind Edmure, Aylis reads the description of the battle, as fascinated as her brother. She would have loved to be a boy for that, for knowing how to use a sword, killing all the men she would have hate. But, then, she would have died too, and her sisters would have grieved for her, leaving their father heartbroken. She is happy to be a girl, she thinks. Women bring life on Earth, and men take it away. She turns to Catelyn, crying with joy to know that their father will soon be home again. But Aylis knows that King's Landing needs to be taken first, and Aerys will not let the Rebels do without fighting them without pity. She shivers at this thought, and wraps her arms around herself.

Walking to the window, she leans her head on Cat's shoulder, and her thoughts wander to Stannis, still besieged at Storm's End. Soon, his brother will free him, and at this moment, she could talk to her father about her wish to marry him. He is a grown man, and she is only a child, but she will grow up, and if he is willing to wait for her, she will make him happy. She knows she will. He will see her, realize how beautiful she is, and he will tell her father he agrees on marrying her, and everything will be alright.


	25. Chapter 25

_Storm's End, 283 AC_

The sea is calm this evening and a young thin man is silently placing boxes on the deck of his little ship. He nervously glances at the fleet standing in front of him, big ships anchored in front of Storm's End. Davos is the name of the man. He has no family name, just Davos. His brown eyes now wander on the castle he is determined to sneak into this night. The war has ravaged the country, and business has never been so difficult. But he's confident in his skills to get what he wants. Luck is with him: the night is dark, the moon hidden behind clouds. He slowly maneuvers his ship between the big boats and, silently, hears the conversation. Some soldiers are saying the war is lost, that Rhaegar Targaryen, Aerys's heir, has died during the battle of the Trident, and that they should stop supporting the Targaryens. Other soldiers argue, questioning the loyalty of the men who talked about escaping. Little by little, the tension rises and everything benefits Davos. He speeds up, knowing that the men are focused on their quarrel. He needs a few hours to reach the castle, and sighs with relief when he does so. If he manages to sell all his goods, life will be sweet for a while for him and his wife. Together, they have three sons and Marya, his wife, is expecting the fourth one. Davos has never known how to do something else than smuggling. And he is pretty good at that.

When he gets to the castle, he sees two soldiers guarding the gate that would allow him to get in. They look exhausted, and terribly skinny. Davos greets them joyfully:

"Hello, lads."

They try to stand straight but Davos can see their legs shaking as they point their spears to him:

"Who are you? What are you doing here?"

The smuggler can see the panic in their eyes, and he hands them piece of fish. One of them takes it and greedily looks at it but the other groans:

"Careful. Could be poisoned."

"I'm Davos", the smuggler explains. "I'm a smuggler and I'm here to sell my food to you. I know you have not eaten properly in weeks. I just want to help you guys", he smiles warmly.

 _And earn a nice amount of money._

The one greedier stares at the other, and he mumbles after a second:

"Fetch Lord Stannis"

He immediately does so and Davos waits, still on his boat. He sits on the deck and turns to the soldier, hands him fish:

"Come on lad, I swear on my sons' heads it is not poisoned."

He sees the soldier hesitating, but his eyes craving for food. Gods know what they have eaten to hold until then, and Davos doesn't know if he wants to know about that. In Westeros, people say they have eaten their own dead. He holds the fish closer to him and suddenly hears:

"Do not touch it."

The soldier immediately moves back and Davos stands up as a tall young man gets to him. He is as skinny and as tired as the others, but his eyes stare ferociously at Davos. Without even knowing his name, Davos knows he is the Lord of this place, and it is not because of the stag he is wearing on his chest. He radiates with authority and presence.

"Your name?" he groans when he sees Davos, examining him.

Davos bows, almost automatically:

"Davos, my Lord."

"He says he is bringing us food, my Lord", the soldier whispers, still holding the piece of fish in his hand.

Stannis observes the man standing on the small boat: he looks back honestly. He looks pretty poor, and he could easily have been paid by the Tyrells to murder him. Silently, he motions the soldier to give him the fish. He obeys and Stannis bites in the flesh.

"My Lord, no!" the two soldiers exclaim but he stops them with a gesture of his hand. He swallows the fish, and he feels like it is the best fish he has ever eaten. He turns to the soldiers and nods:

"Take him in. Help with the goods."

They call at more soldiers and they get in the castle with fish, potatoes and onions. The first men they pass by cannot believe their eyes when they see the food. Stannis calms them down, saying everyone will eat. He orders to cook a part of the fishes, with onions, and to keep the potatoes for later. When he hears that, Davos intervenes:

"My Lord, Rhaegar is dead."

Stannis glares at him, and studies his face:

"How do you know?"

Davos bows respectfully: he does not know the manners he should use with a Lord.

"I heard the men talk when I was sneaking in", he says.

Stannis remains silent and no emotions can be seen on his face. Davos stares at him: he is really impressive, for such a young man. During the following hours, the men cook and eat, thanking Davos warmly. He nods at them with a smile and sees Stannis walking away with two wooden bowls.

"Eating double part, huh?" he tells a soldier by his side.

"Lord Stannis?" the soldier asks with a frown.

Davos nods and the soldier burst out laughing:

"Hey, lads! The smuggler just told me Lord Stannis was gonna eat two bowls instead of only one!"

All the men laugh hard and Davos stares at them, wondering what was so hilarious. The soldier ends up calming down and notices the inquiring look of Davos:

"He took the bowls for his little brother and our old maester", he explains. "Lord Stannis is different from the other Lords. He will eat only once we have all done it."

Davos gives him an incredulous look: he hardly believes what the man say but, well, he doesn't know how it is here. When Stannis walks back down, the bowls are empty. Davos keeps observing him and, when the men have eaten and that they rest a bit, enjoying the warmth of the food in their stomachs, Stannis eats, sit on a trunk, and he motions the smuggler to join him. Davos walks to him and stands in front of him. Eating slowly, making long pauses, Stannis looks at him:

"In the name of my men, I have to thank you, smuggler. You saved our lives tonight."

Davos nods and bows:

"I assume you're expecting a payment", Stannis adds.

Davos holds back a snort:

"Yes, my Lord. Hard work deserves a fair reward."

Stannis had placed the wooden spoon to his lips and stops suddenly, scowling slowly but ferociously at Davos.

"Do you think what you do is work?" he growls and Davos immediately knows he has angered the Lord.

"I… I do what I have to do to survive and feed my family, my Lord."

 _This is the hard truth_ , he thinks. _I am not lying._

"This is my castle and smuggling is a crime against the laws of Westeros", he scowls at him again.

He puts the bowl next to him and stands up: Davos's throat gets dry suddenly. Is he going to kill him? He fears for his life and immediately thinks about his family. How will they survive without him? But Stannis is not done:

"I will not execute you, because you saved my life and each of my soldier's one. But you sin by your hands, so you will lose the first joints from your left hand. Agree you have committed a crime, let me punish you for those, and I will make a knight of you. You will have lands in the Stormlands, and you will choose a name. Do you accept?"

Davos stares at the young man dumbfounded, and falls on his knees:

"You are too good, my Lord."

"I am not. I reward what has to be rewarded, and punish what has to be punished. Come" he simply walks to a chopping block. Davos shivers but follows him. Being knighted is a privilege he hardly believes in: the future of his sons is bright now. They will marry daughters from Lords, and will be richer than he could ever dream.

"My Lord, please swing the blade" Davos bravely kneels and lays his hand on the block.

Stannis nods:

"I would not do otherwise."

Davos closes his eyes and, when he opens them again, he stares at Stannis's ones. The Lord unsheathes his sword and, a second later, the smuggler yells with pain and curls up on the ground. Stannis wipes the blood that stained the sword and places it on his shoulders:

"I, Stannis of House Baratheon, son of Steffon of House Baratheon, create you as a knight. May you be valiant, fearless and loyal. Rise, Ser Davos."

His knees trembles with the pain but he does raise, and grabs clumsily the joints of his hand. He puts them in a piece of cloth, and turns to Stannis.

"I pledge to serve you well, my Lord."

Stannis nods:

"What is the name you will take?"

Davos turns his face to the sea: he can smell it, even among the smell of fishes, onions and potatoes.

"The sea gave me everything I have, my Lord", he explains, "and everything worth it. Seaworth", he smiles slightly. "Davos Seaworth."

"Good name", Stannis nods. He turns to a soldier:

"Take him to Maester Cressen so he can heal his wounds. I am afraid, Ser Davos, that you might spend the rest of the siege with us."

"Nothing would honor me more, my Lord", Davos nods and, after a bow and a last glance, follows the soldier, holding his bloody hand tightly against his heart.


	26. Chapter 26

_A/N : forgot to thanks the new readers and the ones who have favorited this story ! Don't be shy, leave a comment, even though,as a reader, I know sometimes you forget, or don't feel like it! As for the last chapter, I totally forgot Stannis used something else than his sword. My bad!_

 _Riverrun, 283 AC_

The children are reunited in the Great Hall of the castle, waiting impatiently for the return of their father. A whimper rings out in the castle and Aylis turns to Catelyn, holding a little burden in her arms. The little girl smiles brightly, and Catelyn sits down to breastfeed her baby. Aylis sits by her, looking at the small mouth wrapping around Catelyn's nipple and suckling eagerly. Cat strokes the baby's head slowly, while Lysa stares at her, and Edmure looks away with a wince of disgust. Aylis stares also, fascinated. Catelyn had delivered a few weeks ago, and the baby has been strong from the start, yelling loudly as Maester Luwin had guided him out of his mother's womb. Catelyn had been so happy it was a boy, and has called him Robb. Aylis has thought it was a tribute to Robert Baratheon, Ned's best friend, but Cat has said it was an old Andal name, and the reason why she has chosen it. She added what Robert had done was monstrous and Aylis had looked down. Robb is a sweet baby, and she couldn't help but think about Aegon Targaryen when she looks at him. They don't need to have their father back to know what has happened in King's Landing…

Tywin Lannister has reached the city with twelve thousand men, and Aerys has thought he has come for him, and indeed he has. Not the way the old king thought, though. As soon as the gates have been opened, the Lannisters has sacked the city and two Lannister's men have killed the royal family: Elia Martell, her daughter Rhaenys and her son Aegon. The tale of their death has given shivers to the four children, even Edmure. How Ser Gregor Clegane and Ser Armory Loch had rushed in the nursery where the royal family has hid, how the least one had dragged Princess Rhaenys from under her father's bed and has stabbed her, half a hundred times. Cat has held Robb tighter when she heard that, and had cried when they were told about Aegon, smashed against a wall by Ser Gregor, in front of his mother. And then, Elia Martell, raped by Ser Gregor when his hands were still soiled with the blood and brain of her baby boy, and then killed in turn, her skull smashed just like her son. People said Robert would never be forgiven for this, nor would Clegane, Lorch, or Tywin Lannister. Aylis understands them, but cannot help wondering if the real guilty of all this is not Rhaegar, simply. He would have stayed with his wife and their children, he would have waited for Aerys's death, and nothing would have happened. But nothing can be changed: the Targaryens are dead, except for Aerys's wife, sneaked out of the city before the sack by Aerys, with their last son Viserys. No wonder Robert will want to kill them all as well. Robert, who has claimed the throne as his, and who has not suffered any opponents: Ned would never want to be King, Jon would follow Robert blindly. The Baratheons had also some Targaryen blood through their grandmother, so there had not been a real discussion. Robert has become King Robert of House Baratheon, First of his name.

Lord Tully and his brother Brynden get in the Great Hall. The two men hug the children tightly, except for Lysa, who moves away with a groan when Hoster's arms embrace her. Lord Arryn is with him, and Catelyn looks around:

"Where is Ned?" she asks them, afraid of hearing bad news.

Hoster only notices the small burden she holds tightly against her breast. He beams and looks at his oldest child:

"Catelyn…" he walks closer to her to look at the baby. He gasps a bit when he moves the cloth away:

"He looks like you, dear", he smiles hugely and motions Jon Arryn to have a look.

"Very sweet", Jon smiles slightly and turns to Lysa, who looks away wincing.

"Father, where is my husband?" Catelyn asks again, insitantly, fear starting to grab her guts.

Hoster gives a glance towards Aylis, standing by his side:

"The war is not over, Catelyn. Robert is on the throne in King's Landing, but Dorne remains a threat. And your husband is on his way to lift the siege of Storm's End."

Aylis's heart skips a beat. _Stannis…_

She does not say anything, not willing to be mocked again, but deep inside, she feels overjoyed and her heart hammers so hard in her chest she feels it's going to explode.

"Lysa, you will leave with your husband, first for the Eyrie, but not too long. Jon is the Hand of the King, and thus his place, and yours, is in King's Landing. Also…."

His face turns angry and he groans:

"Your uncle Brynden has chosen to leave with you and to serve the Eyrie."

The children stare dumbfounded at their uncle, but Lysa smiles brightly, and Brynden does not look sad at all. Edmure looks like he's the most shocked by his decision: he has always admired his uncle and is sad to not have to see him every day.

"When will you leave?" he asks with a trembling voice.

"In a fortnight. Time to gather all of Lysa's belongings", Hoster replies and Edmure rushes on his uncle and hugs him tight.

"I don't want you to go", Edmure sobs against his uncle's chest.

Brynden's large hands stroke the boy's hair gently, and he kneels down in front of him.

"We will see each other again, alright? You could come and visit me."

The little boy wipes his tears away:

"Re-Really?" he stammers.

"Yes, really", Brynden softly says and hugs him again. The boy wraps his arms tightly around his uncle's neck.

"I'll miss you, uncle Brynden."

"I'll miss you too, Edmure" Brynden whispers in his ear.

Several weeks later, the whole family is gathered again to say goodbye to Catelyn, leaving to join her husband in Winterfell. Lyanna Stark has been found, dead, by her brother, and the quarrel that has occurred between Robert and him over the death of Rhaegar's children has stopped, due to their both sorrow. Robert has not wished to marry again, but Jon Arryn has insisted that a kingdom need an heir, and Robert has finally agreed to marry. Jon has proposed Cersei Lannister, Tywin's young daughter, to ensure the alliance between Baratheons and Lannisters. Jon Arryn still is defiant of the Warden of the West, and prefers to have him by his side.

Lord Tully comes in Aylis's room one day, and told her to get ready to leave to the capital, to celebrate Robert's marriage. He precise that all of the actors of the Rebellion will be here, including her sisters. Aylis jumps with joy at the idea of seeing them again and also realize she will also see Stannis again. She chooses her most beautiful dresses, and hardly manages to sleep through the night before their departure to King's Landing.

 _A/N: nope, I have not forgotten about the siege, this will occur in the next chapter, but I had first an idea about how their marriage will be announced and then another came to my mind so that's why I'm writing this. So, next chapter will be Storm's End, and then we will travel a lot more, King's Landing, Dragonstone, and then again, Essos, Highgarden and stuff. Stay tuned, please leave reviews, the best is (I hope) yet to come._


	27. Chapter 27

_Storm's End, 283 AC_

The last food supplies Davos has brought to the castle have been eaten. The men are starving again, and start eating the leather of their boots, desperate about which end is waiting for them. As long as there has been food, Stannis has always been the last to eat. Davos has grown affection for the young boy, and respect, respect more than anything. He hardly believes he is eighteen years old. Poor lad has celebrated his name day with the last potatoes there has been in the castle. All the men had agreed on giving him this poor but so precious present. When they had presented it to him, Stannis has scowled at each and every one of them and called them fools for wasting food for him. He had shared his potatoes with Renly and Cressen, and had eaten the smallest part of it. As he has been sit on the great walls of his castle, he has remembered the good old days, when his parents and Robert were celebrating his name day, with him, giving him gifts and Robert being kind to him, as much as he could. He remembers the loud laugh of his father, the sweet strokes of his mother's hands, her eyes filled with love when she looked at him, the big slaps Robert was giving on his back. He would give anything to know these kinds of days again, but he knows this is a foolish dream: his parents are dead, and nothing would bring them back in this world.

Days pass, and men weaken more and more. Even Stannis is now close to give up, and let death take him. Davos is the one who suffered the less, obviously, and he cheers the men up as well as he can. He brings a cup of water to Stannis, the only thing he can do for him. The young Lord is sitting on the ground, his back leaning on a wall of stone. His breathing is slow and short, his eyes closed. Davos holds his head as he pours the water in his mouth. Stannis does not even have the strength to swallow and the water runs out.

"Come on", Davos groans. "Open your eyes."

Stannis can hear him, and tries to do so, but he feels so tired, and all he wants to do is sleep, sleep for hours, for days. Deep inside, he knows if he falls asleep, he will never wake up. He can hear Davos's voice insisting, almost angry at him, but he cannot react anymore. And suddenly, he hears a familiar sound, a sound he thinks he would never hear again. In the silent castle, ring out the deafening sound of a cavalry. Davos swiftly turns his head to the men watching on the battlements: most of them are not even standing, but have crawled to watch. Stannis weakly opens his eyes:

"What is it? Go, Davos…"

The knight obeys and immediately joins the men. In front of him, he sees the Tyrell forces panicking, and hundreds of horses running to the castle. But he does not see the stag of the Baratheons: it is the direwolf of the Starks which is getting closer and closer from them. Within minutes, they reach the Tyrell. An hour later, without having to fight, they get in the castle with chariots of food for the soldiers. Some men cry with joy, other insults the Tyrells. Davos stays with Stannis, who has asked him to fetch Renly for him. Stannis has found the strength to stand up, and he is holding the little boy in his arms when Lord Stark gets to him:

"Lord Stannis", he bows in front of him.

"Lord Stark", Stannis weakly says.

Renly moves his head to Ned, and looks at Stannis:

"Where is Robert?" he asks his older brother. "Why hasn't he come to free us?"

Ned smiles and strokes his hair gently:

"Your brother is King now, Renly. You will see him soon. But first, you need to eat."

Stannis nods slowly, and the Starks take care of them. Once they have eaten, and that the fear of starve does not have a grip on them anymore, they rest. Stannis walks slowly the stairs that lead to his chamber, and opens the door: he has not been in there for months, and the smell is pretty awful. He opens the windows and let the fresh air from the sea filling his nostrils. The sea is clear now; all the Tyrell's allies that have anchored here are gone. He grabs a bucket of clean water, and undresses, slowly, watching his reflection in a mirror. He has never thought he was very handsome but, now, he is frankly ugly. His eyes look like two big holes in the middle of his face, his cheeks have grown hollow, and skin seems to be missing from his face. He has lost hair, too, and will cut his hair short as soon as he has cleaned up. His eyes look down on his chest, his ribs visible through the skin, even his sternum is. His belly has grown hollow as well, and the pelvic girdle appears next to his sex. Instinctively, he places his hand on it, as to hide it, but changes his mind and observes it. A huge amount of pubic hair covers the bottom of his stomach, and his penis stands here. He is surprised to see it has not changed at all. It looks bigger, though, but he believes it is normal. He strokes it slightly, and has trouble reminding when last time he had been hard was. He shrugs: he does not care anyways. His eyes leave his intimate parts and focus on his legs, skinny, scrawny, his feet looking like their size have doubled. Once he has examined his whole body, he turns to the bucket and washes himself carefully, as his mother has showed him. The water turn dark with dirt and it disgusts him slightly. But he feels better once he had done this, and dresses up with clean clothes, knowing that soon, the castle will find back its servants, and that everything will be back to normal. He hears his stomach growl again, and he cannot help smiling. He walks downstairs again, and asks a soldier to cut his hair. Stannis has always liked long hair, but now, it would do them good to be cut, and to grow again, stronger, and healthier. When he is done, he walks among his men, checks on Donal Noye, still willing to join the Night's Watch. Lord Stark and his men stay there a bit, and then leave again south: Lyanna has still not been found, and he had hears rumors about her and Rhaegar having stayed here. Rhaegar is dead, and she is probably alone, waiting for her brother to free him, just as he has freed Storm's End.

Stannis and his men bid them farewell a fortnight later, and, as he looks at the men riding away from the castle, alone, he feels a sudden weight on his shoulder. Without even turning his head, knowing that it is useless, a huge grin curls up his lips and he whispers "Hello Proudwing. I have missed you." The cry he hears by his ear and the soft nibble she gives him let him know she has missed him, too.


	28. Chapter 28

King's Landing, 284 AC

Stannis and his small escort watch King's Landing getting closer and closer, as their ship sails closer from the coast. On the pier, Jon Arryn is waiting for them. He has become the Hand of the King and Robert has sent him to welcome his brother for his wedding. The event is supposed to set tomorrow, but Stannis did not want to lose days spent at court. Now that Robert is King, he is busy being the new Lord of Storm's End and has been appointed by his brother as Master of Ships. Therefore, when Robert has known about the fleet of the last Targaryens, the previous Queen Rhaella, pregnant, and her surviving child Viserys, he has ordered Stannis to build a fleet and to attack Dragonstone, the last stronghold of the previous royal family. Stannis has wanted to protest, arguing his men were exhausted after almost a year of starvation and siege, but he has known Robert would have not cared, so he has obeyed without a word. The ship on which he sails to King's Landing is called the Fury, and is one of the last ships built. Stannis has taken it on purpose so Robert sees it, and he would not even take the trouble to welcome him on the pier. Stannis sighs, turns to Ser Davos, going with him and jumps off the ship when he's close enough.

Jon looks at the young man walking to him, and a man right behind him, watching King's Landing with a slight smile. He holds his hand at Stannis:

"Hello Stannis", he smiles gently. He is surprised to see him in such a good shape: the siege must have been grueling, but Stannis looks just like the same than before, except maybe for his hair, way shorter, and his cheeks, a bit hollowed.

"Lord Arryn", Stannis greets in turn, shaking firmly his hand. "Congratulations on your appointment."

"Thank you, my Lord", Jon smiles. "You must be tired. Come, I will show you your chambers."

Stannis turns to Davos:

"May I introduce you to Ser Davos Seaworth. The man who saved us from starvation."

He has emphasized "the" and Jon wonders if it is aimed at Robert. With Stannis, it is hard to know when it is satire or not. Jon nods gently at the young man:

"Welcome to King's Landing, Ser"

Davos smiles:

"I know the city, my Lord. I was born here."

"I do not think you know the court, though", Jon nicely notices, looking at the old clothes of the knight. Davos laughs heartily:

"No, my Lord! That I don't!"

Jon chuckles and walks with them, leading them with an escort to the Red Keep and their chambers. Most guests have already arrived, and the night is short before the big day.

Stannis wakes up slowly, still having trouble sleeping peacefully: he has dreams, or nightmares, he does not really know, where he eats, all the time, stuffing himself, until he gets fat, and fat, and suddenly, an intense pain in his belly, and his stomach explodes literally, guts squirting out of his skin. He wakes up in a sweat, breathing hard, the smell of the guts filling his nostrils up. Until he realizes he is in a warm bed, safe and at peace. This morning, he stands up slowly; noticing breakfast has already been served to him: Robert has always loved to eat, and it shows in the breakfast the cooks serve. Fruits, bread, meat, cheese. The tray is filled with food, way too much for him alone. He knows the wedding feast will be splendid, and he thus chooses some grapes and a piece of bread. Stannis sits down and eats slowly, his stomach painfully growling. He hopes no one will notice during the feast. Once he is done, he washes himself and, thirsty, gets the carafe standing on the table and pours a cup. He rolls his eyes: it is wine. And of course, no water. Robert has always found suspicious that his brother does not like wine. But he hates the taste; he cannot do anything about it. So be it, he will not drink before the feast. With a loud sigh, he walks to the desk and grabs a razor, starts shaving carefully, not willing to bleed. He washes his face when he's done and walks to his clothes and dresses up. He loves how his room is bathed in light, very warm and charming, a wooden desk standing by the door, Robert has known he would keep on working, even away, and a bed pretty small but comfy. He looks at himself in the mirror, caressing slowly the stag embroidered on his tunic, arranging his breeches and tying a leather belt around his waist. He puts his boots on, and is ready to leave when a knock on his door makes him startle:

"Come in", he says.

The door opens on Ser Davos, wearing a weird tunic: a black ship, on a pale grey filed, with a white onion on its sails. It looks like nothing Stannis has seen before.

"What's that?" he points at it with a wince.

"My wife Marya did it. You don't like, my Lord?" Davos asks, disappointment heard in his voice.

"What is this coat of arms? I have never seen it", Stannis asks again.

"Mine, my Lord. You said I needed one", Davos says surprised.

Stannis stands up and stares at his knight:

"I was thinking of something more…. Knightly", Stannis says as nicely as he can. "This does not look like a coat of arm, but more like a pirate's flag."

"The Stormlands lords mock me calling me the Onion Knight. I thought this would be cocking a snook at them."

Stannis smiles slightly:

"You're right. From this point of view."

He gets closer and Davos stands straight, sticking out his chest. He grabs the tunic, watches it carefully, strokes the cloth, pouting all along, and then says:

"Your wife is a good dressmaker."

With these words, he walks out and Davos follows him.

They get in the Sept, Davos looking around marveled at the statues: Stannis knows Davos is a believer, but that does not bother him. He does not ask people to not believe just because he does not. Stannis grinds his teeth when he sees all these Lords he has to greet, just because they are Lords and compliment the dresses of their wives and daughters. _What a hell_ , he thinks and suddenly, he hears his name shout. Or rather yelled. He turns around with a frown and he sees a brown flash rushing on him and two arms suddenly wrapping around his waist tightly.

Aylis has arrived with her family a fortnight before the wedding: Lord Tully has wanted his children to spend some time together, as they have not seen Lysa since she left for King's Landing and Catelyn since she joined her new house, Winterfell. The little girl is so excited to finally visit the capital and to see her sisters again. Maybe Lysa is pregnant! As the carriage is taking them closer and closer from the town, she pops her head around the carriage's door and gapes as she realizes how big King's Landing is. She soon gets back in the carriage though, the smell getting awful as they get closer. The carriage leads them to the Red Keep, the place where the royal family stays, and Aylis gets in it holding Edmure's hand very tightly. Lysa welcomes them and she hugs her tight, genuinely happy to see her. Jon is very nice with her and Edmure and she thinks he would be a great dad. She gets to have her own chamber, and she feels really proud of it: it is small, a child's room, but comfy and with everything she needs. She keeps asking if Stannis is going to come, but her father refuses to answer her. They have been here for ten days when Catelyn, Ned and little Robb join them. Her sister looks weirdly sad, and, one evening, after dinner, they have a stroll together around the Red Keep.

"You look so sad, Catelyn, what is wrong?" Aylis asks innocently.

As soon as she says that, Catelyn bursts out crying. Aylis does not understand her reaction and stammers:

"Wh-what did I say wrong?!"

Catelyn sobs violently:

"It's not you Aylis! It's Ned!"

Aylis gives her an incredulous look: Ned looks fondly in love with her, and is very considerate. But she has been cold as ice with him since they have been there.

"What has he done?" she asks, hugging her sister to comfort her.

Cat just keeps crying loudly for a few minutes and cannot answer. She ends up wiping her tears away and chuckles nervously when Aylis gives her her tissue.

"When I have arrived in Winterfell with Robb, there was a young toddler by his side. He looked like him, Aylis, you cannot imagine how much. I knew, right away, that he was his son."

"His son?" Aylis asks with a frown. "How old is he? The boy?"

"He is one year older than Robb", she sadly says.

Aylis holds her hand tightly:

"But Cat, if he is born two years ago, he was not betrothed to you yet, right? So why are you so sad?"

Catelyn looks down:

"I just cannot stand that he had a baby with another woman."

They stop walking and sit down on a small stone wall. Catelyn has stopped crying, but her eyes are red and puffy.

"Is he nice with you?" Aylis asks again.

"Very. But... I cannot forget this and I have spurned him a lot lately. And I hate that he refuses to tell me the name of the mother of his son."

The little girl frowns again, wondering why grownups are so complicated:

"Why would he refuse?"

"He says I just need to know the baby is from him. But I think the woman is from Dorne, because that's where he come from when he came back in Winterfell with the baby", Catelyn sighs.

"He must have his own reasons. Maybe he is ashamed? Give him time. You love each other, it shows. I'm sure you'll be very happy together", Aylis gives her a comforting smile. "Robb is so sweet; he looks a lot like you. What is the name of the other baby?"

"Ned said he has named him. He has called him Jon, after Jon Arryn."

"That's cute", Aylis beams.

"Yes", Catelyn whispers and Aylis feels talking about him will not be a good idea so she quickly changes the subject:

"And how is life in Winterfell?"

Catelyn laughs:

"Cold! But everyone is nice with me, so I don't complain. It is very different from Riverrun, and I miss the castle, Father, and you and Edmure. I miss seeing you growing up. But, overall, I am happy I am married to Ned. He has even built a Sept for me, so I can pray the Seven."

"Oooooooh", Aylis beams. "This is SO romantic Cat!"

The young woman smiles:

"Yes, it is. Aylis, we should go back, it is getting cold", she wraps her arms around herself.

Aylis nods and they walk back to their chambers, Aylis leaving her in front of the one she shares with Ned.

"Promise me you will talk to him?" Aylis asks.

Catelyn smiles tenderly and kisses her little sister's brown hair:

"I promise. Goodnight Aylis."

"Goodnight, Cat."

She leaves to her own chamber and falls asleep as soon as she lies in bed.

On the wedding day, she puts on the dress her father has bought for her and let the handmaids do her hair. When she gets in the Sept, she tilts her head the best she can to try and see if Stannis is here. She has never seen so many people, great Lords and Ladies, most of them grownups and very few children of her and Edmure's age. She stays close to her father and to Cat, Lysa a bit away from them, tickling Robb's ribs to make him wait. It's a bit long for a baby, especially since they are all reunited and waiting for the bride to get in. Ned is by Robert's side, and she smiles at Robert, thinking he's even more handsome than the last time she has seen him. Everybody is chatting pretty joyfully and she walks away from her family to look for Stannis. And suddenly, her eyes stop looking for him. Her lips curl up in a huge grin and her eyes shine with emotion. She sees him at least: he is talking with two men she does not know, and is with a boy who must be her age. Probably his brother Renly, she thinks. But she does not care. She stares at him, devours him with her eyes, noticing how much he has grown up since this day at the tourney of Harrenhal. He looks way thinner as well, but still strong, and has cut his hair. She hears her father calling at her, but it is like she does not hear him. All she sees is Stannis, standing here with a beautiful yellow and black tunic, wearing proudly his colours and his coat of arms. She walks to him and soon runs, yelling his name, unable to stop herself, not caring about her father now shouting her name. Her little legs run fast, as fast as they can, and she never stops looking at Stannis. He turns to her and they exchange a look before she crashes her body against him and hugs him as tight as her little arms allow her to. She does not say anything; she just wants to feel his body against hers. Suddenly, a hand brutally pulls her back:

"Aylis! You are embarrassing Lord Stannis!" her father's voice makes.

She looks up, ashamed, at Stannis, and realizes everybody is looking at her and that the Sept is silent. Stannis looks surprised and embarrassed, it is true. She curtseys:

"Forgive me, my Lord."

"Come", Hoster says. "The ceremony is going to start."

He leads her away from him and she desperately looks at him but he just nods, as a way to tell her to obey, and she holds back a frustrated groan before standing by Catelyn and Edmure. She watches Cersei Lannister getting in the Sept with her father, Lord Tywin, the man who has betrayed Aerys at the last moment, and the man responsible, people say, for the death of Elia Martell and her children. The future Queen looks gorgeous, Aylis thinks, but something about her makes her very ill at ease. The Septon proceeds to the wedding, and Aylis finds everything very romantic, but is also very hungry. Right after the ceremony, everybody walks to the Great Hall for a huge feast. Aylis sits by her father, and notices Stannis, by his brother, Renly on his left, and the two unknown men standing by his side. She stares at them, wondering who they are, and they smile hugely at her with a bow.

They start eating hungrily and, after a few toasts, proposed by several Lords, she looks at Robert standing up the best he can: he is already pretty drunk, and his face is red. His laugh rings out in the Great Hall and his booming voice turns everyone silent:

"My Lords, my Ladies, a toast!"

Everybody stands up with its drink, and Aylis thinks it is very sad to toast with a glass of water.

"To my brother, Stannis! Come here!"

She sees Stannis, obviously embarrassed again, walking with his cup to Robert. His brother puts his hand on his shoulder noisily:

"My brave brother, who held our home for almost a year against your forces, Lord Tyrell and Lord Tarly!"

They nod slightly, and Robert turns to Stannis. He winces with the smell of wine:

"What better day to announce betrothal, aye?!"

"Aye!" most of people say back cheerfully, when Stannis gets as white as a sheet.

"As a reward for your bravery and your loyalty, I give you the hand of Lady Aylis Tully!" Robert says with a loud laugh. "Aylis! Where are you, child?"

She stands by her father's side, unable to move, her cup shaking so much in her hand water falls on her beautiful dress. She feels Catelyn's hair tickling her neck and she hears her telling her to go join the King. She walks there slowly, feeling all the looks upon her, and hating this feeling. Stannis is as white as a sheet, she notices, and feels nauseous suddenly. He does not want her. It is obvious. The big hand of the King falls on her shoulder in turn, and she makes a face with pain. He pulls her closer from Stannis, and turns to the gathering:

"To Stannis and Aylis, and to their numerous sons!"

Everybody cheers joyfully, but Aylis hears the mocking laughs and turns red with shame and anger. This is ridiculous, she thinks. They are here, a grown up man, and her, a little child, side by side, betrothed in front of the whole kingdom. She does not even dare looking at her family, she looks down, her eyes staring at her shoes. This is not how she wanted it, this is not how she wanted it... When the King tells her to join her father, she hurriedly does so, and glances at Stannis, walking back to his seat. She sees him exchanging a few words with the men sit by his side, and they all look at her. She quickly grabs her cup, and downs it, before wishing she could bury herself in the ground.


	29. Chapter 29

_King's Landing, the same day_

As soon as the feast is over, Aylis rushes out and bursts out crying when nobody can see her anymore. She seats on the cold slabs of the Red Keep and cries her eyes out, overwhelmed with shame and disappointment. The feast have gone on after the betrothal's announcement but Stannis had kept looking down, and she had felt so many eyes on her she has thought she would be sick in front of everybody. Then, Hoster has told her she should go to bed and she had jumped out of her chair as swiftly as if it was covered in thorns.

When she stops crying, she slowly stands up again and brushes her dress, stained with tears. Aylis walks to her room but, indeed, stop in front of Stannis's one, and sneaks in. His smell is all over the place, overwhelming her nostrils. She shyly walks around, touching the clothes, lying on the bed, smelling the pillow and hugging it tightly.

"What are you doing here?"

She gasped loud and sits up, recoiling too much and hitting the back of her head against the hard wood of the bed. Stannis is standing here, his hand still on the handle of the door. She whimpers with pain and puts her hand on her head, checking there is no blood. She is fine, but feels ashamed and hurt.

"I wanted to see you", she mumbles, looking down.

Stannis leaves the door open:

"You cannot get in my chamber like that, Lady Tully."

"Please", she begs. "I need to talk to you…"

"I will meet you in your room, in a few minutes", he answers.

The open door is a clear invitation for her to leave. She holds back a sob and gets off the bed, passes by him staring at the ground and startles as he closes the door behind her. Miserable, she joins her own room, sits on the bed and waits for him. She notices her doll on her pillow, grabs it, kisses it and hides it under the bed.

Stannis places a slight knock on his future wife's door. He feels nauseous when he remembers the feast, and is happy to be away from this entire people now. He hears her little voice telling him to come in and he leans on the handle, pushes the door and closes it behind him. She is sitting on the bed, obviously leaving room for him to sit by her but he stays standing, so uncomfortable of getting here.

"What did you want to talk about?" he coldly says, looking at her.

She looks up, and he can see she is very hurt by his behavior.

"I thought we could talk about the ceremony…"

Stannis felt cold and unpleasant beads of sweat running along his spine.

"We will not get married before you have bled, which will occur in several years. What you need to wonder now is if you really want to marry me? We are ten years apart, it is a huge gap, and I can talk to my brother if you decide to marry someone else. Maybe Renly, if you really want a Baratheon."

She stares at him, dumbfounded: how can he say that?

"You really don't want me, do you?" she asks, her throat painful and dry.

He does not answer, and she walks to him:

"I don't want a Baratheon. I want you; I have wanted you since the day we met. If I have to wait, I will wait. Will you?" she asks back, defying.

"I will obey my King", he simply answers.

"Don't you feel anything for me?" she asks again, getting closer.

Stannis takes a step back and changes the subject:

"As for the ceremony, I want you to know I will not allow the bedding. I think it is shameful and inappropriate. Your father will have to take care of the musicians and food. I will arrive on the day before the marriage, and we will see each other only when your father will lead you in the Sept. If a tourney has to be held, I will not participate. I am not a good jouster and I would not like to shame you on our wedding day."

A long silence follows these words and Aylis is still staring at him, and he feels worse than ever.

"Don't you feel anything for me?" she repeats.

"Have you listened to a word I have said?" he raises an eyebrow.

"No bedding ceremony, no tourney, you won't be here before the eve of the day, my father will hire musicians. Answer me now."

He looks down at her, realizing how small she is, and how young. She is pretty, but she is a little girl. She has not bled, her long hair is mostly the only physical feature that differentiates her from a boy, and he cannot see her as his future wife. He just cannot.

"You are pretty", he admits. "You are nice and I enjoyed the time when we wrote to each other."

A soft smile curls her lips up, but it disappears when he says:

"But, you are very young and I like you more as a friend, than as a wife."

Aylis feels anger and determination flowing through her veins: why is he trying so hard to turn her down?

"But I will be your wife, and there is nothing you can do about it", she crosses her arms and tries to make herself taller and to look like a young woman, and not like a child.

"Why do you like me so much?" Stannis asks, genuinely surprised.

A Tully is a good match: they are respected, and rule over the Riverlands. She could marry with any boy she would want. Aylis takes his hand and strokes it. He watches her do it:

"It's your hands I think… or your eyes… it is because you are brave, and honest. You just proved it. I could hate you, but it makes me only love you more."

She holds his hand tight and she lays a long kiss on it. Stannis shivers, not used to physical contact, and he quickly takes his hand away from her.

"It is late, I will go back to my room. I wish you a god night, Lady Tully."

"Call me Aylis", she smiles slightly.

"I will try", he nods and leans on the handle of the door.

"Stannis?"

He holds back an exasperated sigh and turns to her:

"Yes?"

She walks to him and closes the door in front of him.

"Can you do me a favor?" she asks, leaning against the door so he cannot open it.

"It depends on the favor you are going to ask me", he replies, feeling trapped and hating this.

"I would like you to kiss me", she asks, her heart beating hard against her chest, scared he would refuse.

He leans down and kisses slightly her cheek and she chuckles:

"A real kiss. A kiss you would give to your wife."

He swallows hard and does not move, and her hand comes to his tunic and strokes the stag:

"Just imagine I am some years older. How would you kiss me?"

"You are not older", he protests.

"Stop being so damn logical and do it", she groans.

He cannot help but chuckling and looking at her tenderly. Maybe they would be happy, in the end. She wraps an arm around his waist, looks up and strokes his cheek with her free hand. His skin is soft, so soft she could spend hours stroking it. After a hesitation, he cups her cheek, gently, feeling bad again when he sees how big his hands are on her cheeks, totally covering her skin. Plucking up courage, he leans down on her and softly unites his lips with hers. Trembling, Aylis does not dare move and lets him do, kissing back happily. He moves back, smiles slightly and leaves her here, trembling and a huge grin locked on her lips.


	30. Chapter 30

_Storm's End, 284 AC_

Stannis is examining his newly built fleet, ready to sail to Dragonstone and to take the castle. Walking on the beach, he turns around to give a last look on his home, before getting in a small boat and his men rowing him to the Fury. He gets on the deck, walks around and nods at Ser Davos, standing on the ship by his. He sees Cressen on the beach, bidding farewell to them and they sail away.

Dragonstone is very close from Storm's End and they get here before the end of the day. The Targaryen forces are standing in the tower of Dragonstone, and Stannis notices pieces of wood floating on the water: there must have been a terrible storm, and their fleet has obviously been destroyed. Stannis commands the assault on the castle and it soon appears the Targaryen loyalists are not numerous enough to stop the Baratheons. Most of the men assaulting the castle are men who had shared Stannis's life during the siege of Storm's End and their hatred for the Targaryens has just increased with this. The castle is taken before dawn, and Stannis can walk in the Great Hall as a winner.

He walks in this room, carved in the shape of a dragon lying on his belly, looking around, thinking how grim this place is. The few survivors have been assembled here, and a soldier comes to Stannis:

"We could not find the Queen, my Lord"

"The previous queen", Stannis corrects him and the soldier stammers:

"Ye-yes, my Lord. Forgive me, my Lord."

Stannis turns to the defeated men:

"Where are they?"

They all look down, except for one, staring defiantly at Stannis:

"Ser Darry smuggled them out. You would have been proud", he turns to Davos.

The whole Westeros knows about Davos's past, but why would he care? He knows what he has done, and he is not ashamed of it. He has paid the price for his crimes and he slyly smiles at the Targaryen soldier. Stannis stares at him as well, not showing anything, but deep inside, terribly disappointed. What will Robert say? The first soldier, who came to tell him the previous royal family have not been found, gets closer:

"What do we do with them?" he asks.

"Chain them, and take them to the galleys. We leave for King's Landing tomorrow."

He wishes to let the men rest and, as he stands by a window, staring at the sea, the men slowly leaving the room, he realizes this war will never totally be over, now that the Targaryens are still alive. He sighs, and leans his head against a cold stone.

 _King's Landing, 284 AC_

He stands straight, his hands leaning on his thighs, his fingers nervously fidgeting. Robert is staring at him, his face red with anger and too much wine. A few hours after dawn, and already drunk… The kingdom can be happy to have Jon Arryn as the Hand of the King.

"How could you let them escape!" the growling voice of Robert rings out in the Great Hall. The court is here; even Cersei is, glaring at Stannis with a half smile. Robert would not have missed the opportunity to humiliate him and has barely congratulated him for taking Dragonstone. The only thing that mattered to him was to kill every Targaryen he could find.

Stannis calmly retorts:

"They left before we even got there. How could I know, Robert?"

"Your Grace! I am your king, you ungrateful brat!" Robert spits.

Stannis recoils slightly:

"Forgive me, your Grace", he grinds his teeth. "I am not ungrateful. I am sorry I have failed you, but I could not know they had already left."

Both stubborn, he knows there is no use to keep saying the same thing. If Robert does not want to hear, he will not hear. But Stannis is no man to be humiliated and be happy about it. Robert turns around and pours himself another glass of wine, going on provoking Stannis:

"I give you the hand of the Tully girl, one of the most respected family of this Kingdom, I give you money to build another fleet and this is how you thank me?!"

Stannis needs all his energy to remain calm and not beat him up like he did years ago, when he had mocked Proudwing. Still calm, but deep inside boiling with anger, he retorts:

"I have never asked for this marriage. And you wanted a fleet, so I think it is normal you pay for it. I don't thank you? Why should I thank you for, your Grace? Letting me and men loyal to you starve for a year in your home castle? Sending a Northerner to free us, when you were feasting in King's Landing?"

In a few strides, Robert reaches him and grabs his collar, his face a few millimeters from his, Stannis disgusted by the smell of wine, but not scared at all. Robert hisses:

"You think being my brother allows you to disrespect me? You are nothing without me, Stannis, nothing! You have taken Dragonstone, keep it! This is my gift to you!"

He brutally lets him go and asks for wine again. Stannis has not moved and stares at him:

"Dragonstone? I am the Lord of Storm's End."

"Not anymore. You are my heir, as long as Cersei has not given me a son. You will have Dragonstone, and Renly will stay in Storm's End, with a castellan, until he is old enough to rule it by himself."

Robert downs a cup and turns to Stannis, unable to say whatsoever. He ends up muttering:

"I held our home because you told me to. I was born here, I have defended it… You cannot take it away from me. Storm's End is mine, by right! I am your younger brother!"

"I don't care about your rights. You can refuse to have Dragonstone. Why would I care? Now, leave. I have enough of you", Robert replies, suddenly calm again.

Stannis grinds his teeth so hard he feels he is going to break them and he swiftly turns around and walks out, hearing them laugh as he passes the door. Will he live to be the butt of everyone's jokes? Hardly holding back tears of frustration and humiliation, he rushes to his chamber and slams the door behind him. He sits at his desk, grabs a quill and parchment and writes down everything he thinks of Robert. He uses the worst words he knows, to take it out on something. When he is done, he throws the text in fire, but, at least, he feels calmer now. He would like to confide in someone, to hear comforting words. He thinks about Aylis but she is too young to understand such things and he does not wish to bother her with his problems. He though writes to her, as an answer to her last letter: she is always sweet and caring in her words, repeating all the time how much she is eager to marry him. Slowly, Stannis gets more and more used to the idea, but would like her to grow up all of a sudden, to feel less ill at ease. Most girls bleed at fourteen or fifteen. By then, he will already be twenty five. Most Lords are already fathers at this age. As he keeps writing, he wonders if she will give him children. Her sister Lysa seems to be in trouble with having children, But Catelyn had already has Robb. And their mother gave Lord Hoster four children. He hopes she will take after her. As he seals the letter and walks out to the aviary, he realizes he has forgotten to tell her about Dragonstone. He decides they will be there as little as possible. Aylis will probably be happy to live at court, and no one could like Dragonstone. He watches the raven flying away to Riverrun, sighs and gets back to his chamber to organize his new life, in the castle he will have to call "home".


	31. Chapter 31

_Riverrun, 285 AC_

Aylis is sitting on her chair, smiling hugely at her father and Edmure, watching the servant bringing a cake to her with a smile. Today is her tenth nameday, and she blows the candles happily. The day has started when she received a letter from Stannis, wishing her a happy nameday, and Edmure has jumped on her bed yelling with joy. Ten years old… it sounds a lot to her, and still, she cannot wait to celebrate her next namedays, knowing that each of them will bring her closer to Stannis. He has told her in his letter about life at court, in King's Landing. He is the Master of Ships and, thus, is an important member of the King's counsel. Every time she thinks about it, she feels so proud of him. She loves her family, of course, but she cannot wait to live with him, to share his everyday life. She will not have to wonder when he wakes up, what he has for breakfast, what he does in the morning, if he hunts, or writes… She knows he will have a busy life and she probably will as well, but she will be with him, at least. But she also knows she will have to wait, three or four more years. It sounds like an eternity to her: Stannis will not break his vow; she knows it, but what if he suddenly stops writing, what if he hates her when the time comes to marry her? She cannot help sighing in front of her cake and blushing when her father frowns at her. She eats her piece of cake silently.

Lysa and Catelyn could not come, but they both sent gifts to her, with messages. Lysa is still not pregnant, and Catelyn talks feverishly about Robb, not mentioning Jon once. Robb, who was running around Winterfell, following Jon in everything he does or says. Aylis would like so much to see them, but visits are too expensive and too complicated in Westeros. She knows she probably won't see them again before her marriage. Robb would be a little child at this moment, when he was a baby last time she has seen him. Lysa's letter is way shorter and cooler; she can feel it just by the words she uses. She sends with her letter some jewelry, and Cat has sewed for her sister a beautiful hat. Then comes Brynden, who has added a letter to Lysa's one, talking about life at the Eyrie and hoping she and Stannis could visit them once they are married. She answers them all, keeping her answer to Stannis for the night, when she will be at peace and alone.

Aylis spends the afternoon with Edmure, despite a violent storm breaks out suddenly and soaking them before they can reach the castle. Riverrun's rain is mostly warm and pleasant but this one is heavy and lashes their faces painfully. They run back, slipping in the mood, and Aylis falls back on a big puddle, ruining her dress, her face and her hair. When they reach the warmth of the Great Hall, their father shouts at them for being in such a pitiful condition, and orders that they have a bath. Aylis's favourite handmaid takes care of it, and grumbles as she sees the dress stained with mud:

"I am sorry, Bess", Aylis whispers, knowing that the stains will be hard to wash off.

The middle-aged woman, slim and strong, with brown eyes and blond hair, turns to her and smiles:

"You are a child, my Lady. You have to play in the mud, and have dolls to cuddle. Do not worry, I will take care of it."

She stands naked by the tub, and Bess asks:

"Is the water okay, my Lady?"

Aylis nods silently and slips in the hot water when Bess leaves. She washes her body and her hair, and leans against the hard wood with a sigh of contentment. She could almost see Stannis here with her, if she tries really hard. Her hand strokes her skin, slowly, going up on her chest. She can feel her breasts starting to develop. Lord Tully has been worried about it when the servants have told him so, but Maester Kym ensured it just means they will probably be well developed, later. She has not understood right away, but seeing her father blushing deep red has cleared things up. She uses a special soap to wash her intimate parts and does so, quickly, but brushes a spot that makes her gasp pretty loudly. She bites her lip with shame, and sits back in the water, but explores her intimacy. She has never done this but she is safe, in the privacy of her room, with the candles burning as only witnesses. She feels how different her sex is inside and outside, how sweet the skin here outside, how weird it feels inside. Her finger slowly looks for some bumps, and she finds two: one sounds like a piece of flesh hanging here, and she does not know what it is. The other feels like a button, hidden under flesh as well, and making her jolt every time she touches it. She has never felt this, and she strokes herself, her legs spread, leaning on the tub. She feels how wet she gets and she knows this: she has woken up numerous times feeling this, this weird sensation between her thighs, and has felt the need to wash it off every time. She doesn't, now. She lets pleasure overwhelming her, stifling her moans by biting her tongue or her lower lip. Aylis wonders if she will have that much pleasure when Stannis will first take her. She imagines his strong hands in place of theirs, and her pleasure increases suddenly, reaching his peak. She cannot know she has just come, but she guesses as she feels herself contracting, and a weird pain replacing the pleasure. She curls up, sweaty, her heart beating hard in her chest, and she rinses herself before stepping out of the bathtub. She watches herself, naked, after she dried her body, turns around to try to see the shape of her butt, wondering if it is fine or not. She stares at the milky skin, the pink nipples on her breasts, and the crooks of her ribs. A knock on the door makes her startle violently and Bess's voice says:

"Are you done, my Lady?"

"One second", she grabs quickly her nightgown and slips it on. "Come in!" she says and gets in her bed.

Bess gets in and empties the bathtub, before wishing a goodnight to Aylis. The girl, cuddled up in the sheets, her heart still hammering against her chest, tells her good night in turn, before closing her eyes and joining her betrothed in her dreams.


	32. Chapter 32

_King's Landing, 286 AC_

Stannis gets in the Royal room, where Cersei has delivered a baby boy a few hours before. She is resting now, and Robert has just come back from a hunt. Jaime Lannister was the one who stayed with his sister. Always ill at ease with women, and even more with this one, Stannis stands as far as her as he can. Robert is holding the baby, under the look of Jaime.

"Come here Stannis, come see how beautiful he is!" he enthusiastically says and Stannis walks closer to his brother. Robert holds a little bundle, and, as he moves the blanket away from the baby's face, Stannis stares at the newborn: he is very cute, it is true. He is all pink and looks at his uncle with curious emerald eyes. Stannis glances at Cersei, asleep in the bed, then back at the baby, more precisely at his skull. Unlike his father, the baby called Joffrey has blond hair. He has clearly taken after the Lannisters features, and not the Baratheons. Stannis remembers this day when he was just a boy, and that Renly was born: how amazed he has been with all the black hair the baby already had. He smiles slightly:

"He is, your Grace."

"He will be a great king, one day", Robert laughs, and gives the baby back to the handmaids. "Let's have a feast tomorrow, to celebrate his birth!"

Jaime nods, and Jon Arryn gets in in turn, and Robert welcomes him as he would welcome his own father.

"Do you know Catelyn Stark is pregnant again, your Grace?" Jon asks, as he smiles seeing the baby.

"I didn't! How do you know?" Robert beams.

"Lysa just told me. She is supposed to deliver soon", Jon keeps smiling and staring at the child.

"Wonderful!" Robert says. "I will write a letter to the wolf right away!"

There, he leaves and Stannis says to Jon:

"He wants a feast for Joffrey's birth."

"I will organize this", Jon nods and soon leaves, followed by Stannis.

"Can I see you a minute, Lord Arryn?" the young Master of ships asks.

Jon nods and walks to his office: as the Hand of the King, he has his own tower in the Red Keep, called the Tower of the Hand. Jon often rules in place of Robert, when he has drunk too much or is "busy" with the numerous women who share his bed. Stannis despises his brother more than ever: a King should never act as he does. He does not seem to care about his wife, or his kingdom. But he certainly loves the money and the power that comes with being a King. Stannis follows silently Jon, and the old man lets him pass before him when they reach his office. Stannis comes in and sits on the chair facing the wooden desk.

"What did you want to tell me, Lord Stannis?" Jon asks smiling.

"This child is not my brother's child", Stannis whispers, almost as a reflex. Jon loses his smile:

"What are you talking about?"

"You know what I am talking about. This baby is blonde, and has green eyes. He looks like a Lannister, and not like a Baratheon", he retorts.

Jon leans back on his chair and says again:

"Maybe he takes after his mother…"

"None of the Baratheons have. Whatever how the mother looks like, we all look like our fathers. We have always looked like our fathers."

Jon stares at him, Stannis not looking away, and the Hand whispers:

"If Robert is not his father, then who is it?"

"I don't know", Stannis admits. "Are there rumors of the Queen cheating on Robert?"

"No. Not that I have heard of."

Jon stands up and pours a cup of wine for him, and a cup of water for Stannis: he knows the Lord never drinks alcohol.

"You cannot accuse her of adultery without proves."

"I know that", Stannis retorts with a thankful nod as Jon hands him the cup.

"I know they are not fond of each other, but this is very serious. I think Joffrey is just an exception in the Baratheon's lineage. And how is your betrothed?" Jon quickly adds, willing to change the subject.

"She says she is fine in her letters", Stannis nods, understanding the Hand and unwilling to brusque him. His opinion was made, but he could not change someone else's without proves, as Jon told him.

"Has she bled yet?" Jon asks.

"She is eleven", Stannis protests slightly, frowning.

"I heard some girls were sooner than others for this", Jon sips his wine.

Stannis feels a shiver of horror overwhelming him:

"Even if she had bled, I would not marry her now. She is way too young."

"Fair enough", Jon nods in turn.

He looks at the young man sitting in front of him: he has always loved Robert with all his heart, but has also known about his faults. Stannis would be a good advisor to Robert, if only this one was willing to listen to his younger brother. Morally, Stannis is flawless. He does not drink, he does not whore, and the whole capital knows the man is still a virgin, despite being twenty one years old. Some claim he preserves himself for his wedding night with the young Tully, some others say women scare him and that he hates them. Jon does not think they are right. Duty sounds like a very important word in Stannis's life and he has not had many opportunities of seducing women when he was besieged in Storm's End. Accepting to marry Aylis Tully has meant doing his duty, once more, towards Robert who had secretly prepared this marriage with Aylis's father. Many people among the great families of Westeros have mocked him for that. Even Lysa, when they have talked about it in private, has not looked fond of this future marriage, arguing Stannis was too old and that Renly would have been perfect. But, whatever the people think about it, this marriage will happen, and the whole kingdom will be invited. Stannis will probably hate this, Jon thinks, and an amused smile curls his lips. Stannis finishes the cup of water, and puts it back where it was.

"Thank you for your time, Lord Arryn. I have business to attend to", he stands up and nods at him.

"I wish you a nice day, my Lord", Jon nods back and Stannis leaves. Lost in thoughts, Jon keeps staring at the wooden door for a long moment before going back to ruling the Kingdom.


	33. Chapter 33

_Riverrun, 287 AC_

Aylis grows up, too slowly for her liking, but she cannot do otherwise. At twelve years old, she is a now charming young girl: smiling blue eyes, chestnut-brown hair cascading down until the middle of her back, and a body looking more and more like the one of a teenager. Her breasts have started to develop all of a sudden and, at twelve, her body is not a child's one anymore. The handmaids often compliment her about them, arguing they are already bigger than her sister's, though fully grownups. She still goes hunting with Fury a lot and exercises pretty often, she then stayed thin and muscular, but not too much. Her legs are slender and her back very nicely curved. Maester Kym has told her father she should have no problem bearing children, since her hips are perfect. She takes good care of her skin and of her hair, taking long baths, brushing carefully her hair every night before going to bed and every morning after she wakes up. More and more, she thinks of her wedding night, wondering how it feels to be deflowered. She tries to ask the handmaids, but most of them refuse to answer her, without she even knows about the reasons of their denial. Cat and Lysa are too far away from her now, and all her questions remain unanswered.

One evening, not holding on anymore, she sneaks out of the castle, wrapped in a black cape, on her horse and discreetly heads to the town. She has not been here very often, it is Edmure's role to get ready to be a Lord, and it is him who visits the smallfolks. She is scared as soon as she has passed the castle but she is determined to do what it takes to be a good wife to her husband. The night is beautiful, a huge moon lighting up the path as in a bright sunny day. On her way, she rides by peasants and men staring at her weirdly. She swallows hard and keeps riding, to a big and tall house. Hearing the laughs that come from here, she knows she is at the good place. She gets off her horse and ties it by the numerous other horses which are already here. Taking a deep breath, she knocks on the door. A middle aged woman opens and stares at her:

"You're lost, little girl?" she asks nicely.

Staying as calm as she can, Aylis replies:

"I want to see someone who works here."

"Sweetheart, we don't do women… and you're not even one…"

Aylis takes a purse and makes the gold in it click:

"I will pay her. Double price."

The woman stares at her, and lets her pass:

"Come with me."

She steps in and looks around: it looks like nothing she has imagined. Of course, there are women who are walking around half naked, but she does not see any men. She notices a stair, leading to rooms and she guesses they are all here. The woman takes her to a small room, with a desk, which strangely makes her think of her father's office. What would Lord Hoster say if he saw her here? But she needs to be here, for her own sake. The woman sits down and pours two cups of wine. Aylis denies it:

"I do not drink wine", she says nicely.

"Who tells you it was for you?" the woman barks.

Aylis looks down and the woman gulps the two cups:

"Are you a Lady?" she asks.

Aylis looks back up at her and replies:

"I said I would pay. I am going to marry as soon as I have bled. I want you to teach me how to please my future husband."

"You have too much money to be a peasant girl. And you don't want to find your husband here one day, right?" she snorts.

Aylis feels herself blushing:

"I want to make him happy. How do you make men happy?"

"First, I need to know what kind of man is your hubby. Is he a virgin, like you? Is he young like you?"

Aylis is careful of not saying too much by fear of being discovered:

"He is a virgin, and he is just a bit older than me."

"Does he like violence?" she asks again.

Aylis shakes her head. She does not think he likes sweetness either, indeed.

"So he's romantic?"

Aylis shakes her head again. The idea of a romantic Stannis makes her smile.

"I think he is not very interested in sex", she whispers the last word, as if it was some shameful bad word.

"First, of all, sweetheart, never be scared of sex. Of saying it, of doing it. Sex is the most natural thing in the world. Are you ashamed of pissing, of shitting?"

Aylis feels herself blushing deep red, and shakes her head quickly:

"Not at all."

"Same thing for sex. Stand up, and turn around."

Aylis obeys, not used to be ordered around but curious of what this would be useful to the woman. She groans with approbation:

"You have beautiful tits, and a nice little butt. Forgive my language, by the way. I'm not used to talk to ladies."

"I am not a Lady, it's fine", Aylis smiles and sits back down.

The woman remains silent for a few seconds, examining her face, her body.

"If your husband is shy, you certainly are not, I can see it. You've already stroked yourself?"

Aylis reddens violently and nods fast.

"You've reached climax?" she asks again and Aylis nods.

"That's good. For your first night, don't expect to feel too much pleasure. But your husband can maybe stroke you, with his fingers or his tongue there. Try to relax, as much as you can, and not to contract because if you do, it's gonna be worse. The best is that you ride him, so you can control the penetration, and go with your own rhythm."

Aylis listens carefully:

"And for him? What can I do to please him?"

"If he's shy, don't brusque him. Try to stroke his chest, his shoulders, compliment him. When you feel he's ready, you can stroke his sex."

Aylis frowns slightly: she did not expect this.

"But, you? What do you do to men?"

"We accept things that can be bloody painful and humiliating. I will not discuss that with you, not even for money", the woman coldly retorts, then, more nicely, "You can try and make him have pleasure with your mouth. You take his sex in your mouth, and you suck it, like a lollipop."

Aylis frowns and makes a face:

"Does it not taste gross?"

"He needs to be clean for sure. If he is, it does not taste different than licking your hand or something", the woman shrugs. "You need to be clean as well, sweetheart. Get to your room ten minutes before and wash your lady parts carefully."

"Alright", Aylis nods. "And… will I bleed?"

The woman gasps loudly:

"Oh, yes! Once you will bleed for the first time, you will understand. You bleed almost as much as the first time you have your moons. Try to have spare sheets because you will not gonna want to sleep in bloody sheets" she concludes with a laugh. "You have other questions?"

Aylis shakes her head, and the woman holds her hand at her:

"Can I come back if I need to?" she asks.

"As long as your purse is full, don't hesitate", the woman smiles as she grabs the money.

"What's your name?" she asks again, standing up.

"You don't need to know that. I always open the door so you'll always see me first. Goodbye, girl, and good luck with your marriage."

Aylis smiles gently:

"Thank you…"

She walks out quickly, gets back on her horse, and reaches the castle without being seen. Her heart stops hammering only when she is in the safety of her room. She lies down in bed and falls asleep immediately, exhausted by her trek.


	34. Chapter 34

_Dragonstone, 288 AC_

It is a rainy day in Dragonstone, as usual Stannis would say, and the Lord of the place has come here to spend a few weeks in his castle. He has visited his small folk, defiant about him at first, but respecting him more and more with time. Today, he has wanted to go hunting with Proudwing, but the weather is too bad, especially for the bird. He spends the day in his office, writing letters then goes in the Great Hall receiving his small folk. Right before lunch, Maester Cressen walks in with two letters. The old maester should have stayed with Renly in Storm's End, as a maester usually serves a castle and a land, not a man. But he loved his Stannis way too much to see another serve him, and he had asked this favor himself to Robert, when visiting King's Landing. "Go with him", the King has answered. "Why should I care?". Cressen has been hurt by how indifferent Robert looks towards his own brother, his own flesh and blood. How can two brothers hate each other so much? It is beyond his understanding: they are different of course, but siblings do not have to look alike to love each other. On this day, Cressen walks as fast as his old legs allow him too. He has known what these letters are as soon as he has seen the seals. Stannis raises an eyebrow when he sees him coming in, all sweaty and breathless. Silently, Cressen hands him the two parchments. Stannis pales a lot and Cressen knows he knows. His jaw clenches as he opens the parchments: Cressen has not wanted to read them before him but he stays by his side, observing his face. He quickly hands the first one to his maester, his jaw still clenched. Cressen takes it, and reads:

"I HAVE BLED! Come marry me!"

No need to read the signature hastily added at the bottom of the parchment. And it has not been enough to make Stannis laugh, while Cressen has to bite his tongue to not chuckle with amusement in front of so much enthusiasm. Stannis is reading the second letter, way longer, and, when he is done, he leans forward, rubs his face with his hands after giving this one to Cressen. He hides his face as Cressen reads the letter, written by Lord Tully, confirming his daughter has bled and that she is ready to marry him. He asks him to let him know when he will leave, so the wedding is ready, even though these ceremonies are not particularly long to prepare. But he needs a date, so the guests arrive in time. The road to Riverrun is very different whether you come from Winterfell or King's Landing. He also precise he has hired musicians, and asks if Stannis has peculiar taste in food or in who they shall invite or not. A pretty common letter, Cressen thinks, and, as he looks up on his Lord, he does not understand why Stannis looks so upset. The young man looks like he is crying indeed, and Cressen raises an eyebrow:

"My Lord?"

"What?" Stannis does, more harshly than he has wanted. "Sorry, Cressen", he then sighs, knowing it is unfair to take it out on the maester.

"What is it, Stannis?" the old man asks nicely, seeing how disturbed he is.

"She is thirteen", Stannis sighs, and stands up, pacing up and down, his fingers snapping each others. He is a grown man now, but has still the same mimics than when he was just a little boy.

"And she has bled, my Lord. She is a woman according to the rules of our world. My Lord…" Cressen sighs and walks to him, "look at her letter. She is begging you to marry her. She loves you, my Lord. Can't you see it?"

Stannis scowls at him:

"I can see it! But I can't help thinking about how young she is, how innocent, how… how she deserves so much better than me…"

He mutters the last words, and Cressen gives him a hurt look. Will this damn boy ever love himself and understand that other people could care for him, enjoy his company, his smart mind, could love him as he is? The shadow of his brother was too imposing for this boy. If only he has been born the eldest, how different his life would have been…

"You will be an excellent husband for her, I know it", Cressen argues.

"I would not even know how to…pleasure her", Stannis says with shifty eyes.

Cressen walks closer again:

"I know how to help you. Come to my office, My Lord", he says, walking out of the Great Hall. Stannis follows him without a word, his shoulders sagging as if he was carrying the weight of the world on them. They walk up the stairs of the Maester's tower, and a fresh air makes Stannis shivers as they get in his room. Cressen hastily closes the window facing the sea and rummages through books. Stannis looks around, noticing it exactly looks like the room he had in Storm's End, except for the landscape out there. He walks to the window, staring at the sea, noticing how heavy the rain is. He could count on his single hand the days when the sun has shined.

"Here it is!" Cressen exclaims, and Stannis turns around to see a big book, wide opened and a drawing of a vagina on a full page. He winces with disgust: he has never seen one, but he knows how it looks like. Cressen, with a passionate tone Stannis finds suspicious, starts explaining:

"The women, contrary to men, have a very small organ here", he points at a spot, on the highest part of the vagina. "Come and sit down, the drawing is not going to bite you, my Lord."

Stannis obeys with a whimper of despair, and looks at the drawing, still wincing.

"This organ is called a clitoris. And it is the only organ totally deserved to pleasure, and only pleasure. So, you should focus on this on your wedding night."

"I have to touch that?" Stannis disgustedly says.

"Touch, lick, kiss. Come on Stannis, you're not a little boy anymore. Do you want to pleasure her, or not?"

"I want to do my duty", he groans.

"Good."

To the maester's surprise, Stannis grabs a parchment and starts writing on it.

"Are you taking notes?" he raises an eyebrow again.

"Do you really think I will remember this by the wedding night?" Stannis retorts, keeping on writing.

Cressen eyes the parchment:

"You misspelled "Clitoris", it is with an only S, my Lord."

"Thank you", he mumbles and corrects it after a scowl. "What else should I need to know?"

"A girl often bleeds on her wedding night, because there is a small membrane called hymen at the entrance of the internal part of the vagina. When her husband penetrates her, he mostly rips or tears it apart. Do not panic if she bleeds, but if she aches, you must stop immediately and let her…adjust to your size."

Cressen says that with a knowing look and Stannis reddens with embarrassment:

"It is not that big…"

"I have known you since you were born, and have seen you naked on several occasions. You are big, my Lord."

Stannis shifts uncomfortably on the chair and Cressen goes on:

"The most common sexual position for a first intercourse is the man lying on the woman. Do you want to see a drawing of this?"

"No!" Stannis exclaims again.

"Fair enough", Cressen simply says. "You also need to be clean in this area."

"Of course", Stannis says, not writing this down. "Other body parts she can have pleasure with?"

"Breasts of course, but the pleasure will be mutual I guess. Nipples are often very sensitive, especially since she is a virgin and has never been touched by a man."

Stannis nods, writing down as Cressen keeps talking. _Hips, ribs, thighs, inner thighs, back, kidneys, butt, neck_. He writes carefully, wondering which part of a woman's body is indeed NOT sensitive to strokes. The Others take him, this is going to be a very long and boring night.

"Will you answer Lord Hoster?" Cressen asks when their little lesson is over.

"And Lady Aylis", Stannis nods.

"Very well", Cressen nods in turn and lets him leave back to his office. Stannis closes the door behind him and writes a long and thankful letter to Lord Tully, explaining they would need more or less sixty days to get to Riverrun. First, they would reach King's Landing by the sea, and then would travel from the Capital to Riverrun. He thinks he should buy Aylis a few gifts when he will be in the Capital and adds this to the list he has made, just to remember it. He also writes he agrees with the musician, and thanks him silently for not organizing a tourney. But maybe Aylis has told him about it. He finishes the letter with his signature and his seal, before writing to his future wife in turn. The letter is very short, just explaining the same things about distances and travels. He signs the same way, and sends the two letters together.

After he watches the raven flying away, he walks downstairs and orders that the servants get a room ready for Aylis, and starts organizing his trip, sending other letters to Ser Davos to invite him to the wedding.


	35. Chapter 35

_King's Landing, 288 AC_

Ser Davos has joined Stannis directly in King's Landing. They have stayed here for a week, time that Stannis buys a few gift for his future wife. Today, they go with Renly to a horse seller. Stannis knows Aylis loves horses and loves riding, and he remembers a letter she sent him a few weeks ago, where she was very sad because her pony, Smudge, has passed away. She is now old enough to ride a real horse, and Stannis has thought she would appreciate the gift. He gets in a large stable yard, where a middle aged man is feeding his horses. He immediately stops when he sees the two men and the young teenager walking in.

"My Lords", he bows respectfully.

"I came here to buy you a horse. A mare if you have", Stannis directly says, wishing the visit to be the quickest possible.

"Of course, my Lord", the man immediately orders his employees to take horses out of their boxes. "Do you have a particular wish for the coat, or the age, my Lord? We have everything you want, from newly broken horses to most experienced ones."

Stannis glances at Davos and says:

"I would like a coat not very common. And a mare who is between four and seven years old. Not older, not younger."

He knows a younger horse could be difficult, and he wants it to be a part of Aylis's life for a long time. The horse seller bows again:

"As I see, you are a connoisseur, Lord Stannis."

He smiles and leaves to the stables, and takes three horses out. Immediately, Stannis points at the buckskin one. The horse seller exclaims:

"Don't you want to try her first, my Lord?"

"She is not for me, she is for my future wife", Stannis explains, hating to have to discuss his private life with people he does not know. He hates enough talking about this with people close to him. He walks closer from the mare: she is gorgeous, long black mane, the bottom of her legs black as coal and the rest of her coat looking like cream. Her chest is muscled, her legs look strong, and she stares back at Stannis almost defiantly. He likes her. He turns to the seller:

"Make her walk", he orders.

"Rightaway", he retorts. He walks around them with her. She is very gracious, curving her head as she walks.

"What's her name?" Stannis asks, not looking away from her a single second.

"River, my Lord".

Stannis smiles slightly:

"Perfect. I take her. A servant will come fetch her whenever she will be ready. I leave in a week for Riverrun, so I need to have her before that."

The horse seller nods, and Stannis pays the price of the horse.

Before they all leave, he buys her some jewels and some dresses, not having the slightest idea of what she likes, if all these gifts are too much, or not enough. He refuses to ask his advice to Robert, and Renly encourages him to buy things. It is like the boy has never known poverty and depravation: Renly spends a lot of money on pointless things, but, then, Stannis thinks it is for his wife, and not for him.

 _Riverrun, a few weeks later_

She is standing behind the curtain, with her handmaids behind her. She has been staring at the landscape for a while now, and her heart has beaten faster when she has seen the procession arriving to her castle. She turns to her handmaids, and points at Stannis on his horse:

"It's him..."

They giggle:

"He is so tall!" one says

"I heard his brother is taller than anyone in the realm", another one does.

They suddenly stop giggling and gasp: Aylis turns away and gasps too when she sees her father, staring at them. The handmaids quickly leave and Hoster walks to his daughter with a smile.

"Will you welcome him with me?" he asks.

"I heard it brings misfortune if the man sees the maid before the marriage", she says softly.

Hoster smiles and hugs her:

"My little girl... how did you grow up so fast?"

She hugs back, tightly and closes her eyes: Hoster has never been demonstrative with her, and she enjoys even more those little moments, knowing that, soon, she will leave for her new life of a married woman.

"I will see him", Hoster says, pulling back gently and smiling at her before leaving the room.

On this night, before the wedding, she hardly manages to sleep, fidgeting a lot, thinking about the worst things that could happen on this day. Her sisters have arrived weeks before Stannis, and she has been so happy to see them again. She had insisted that Jon, Ned's bastard, should be here, and obviously, her sister has listened to her last time they talked, as she had a little girl called Sansa. She has been so astonished to see Robb, now a little boy, and swooned in front of the beautiful baby her sister was carrying. She also noticed how Lysa was staring ferociously at Catelyn, clearly jealous of her sister's happiness. Lysa has miscarried several times these last years, and she is getting desperate to be pregnant again. Aylis thinks also about Stannis and his family: Robert has obviously come, with Queen Cersei and Prince Joffrey, born several weeks only before Sansa. Renly will be here too, as well as Ser Davos and Maester Cressen, the two men she has seen during the feast of Robert, where he has officially betrothed them. Aylis manages to fall asleep around the middle of the night, and she clearly knows she will not get enough sleep.

"Wake up, my Lady! Today is your big day!"

The sudden rays of sunshine makes her whimper with disapproval and she hides herself under the sheets, but a handmaid rips them off.

"It is too early!" Aylis moans, tired.

"Will you miss your own wedding?" the handmaid chuckles.

Aylis sits up straight and checks on her bed sheets: she has not bled. She sighs with relief and quickly eats what the handmaid has brought for breakfast. She has had her moons twice more, but very irregularly, and that has scared her about her wedding day. She would have been so desperate if she has been having her moons: the bleeding was pretty important, and her belly pangs were very painful. Once she has eaten, she takes her bath, washing carefully, and lets the handmaids do her hair: she glances at her wedding dress, standing there, waiting for her. Her stomach is painfully knotted, and she feels like she is going to be sick or something. she swallows hard and breathes slowly to make the nausea go away. What if Stannis isn't here? What if he refuses to marry her once he has seen her? A million different thoughts rush in her mind and suddenly, she finds herself ready. The handmaids beam at her, telling her how gorgeous she is but she finds herself pale and looking sick. She walks out of her room and heads to the Sept, where her father waits for her. He kisses her cheek and offers her his arm:

"Are you ready?"

She bites her lip:

"I am so nervous..."

"I was too, when I married your mother. Everything will be alright, I swear."

She leans her brow against his, and nods at him. They both walk in, despite the shaking of her legs.

Stannis has been waiting in the Sept for what seemed an eternity for him. He has chosen simple but smart clothes for his wedding: a leather tunic, black breeches and boots. The Baratheon's sigil sewed on the leather, and he is of course wearing the traditional cloak he will later wrap around Aylis's daughter. The guests are whispering between themselves waiting for the bride, and, as the door opens, the assembly remains silent. Stannis stares at the two people slowly walking in, Lord Tully, all smiles, and his future wife by his side. The young groom gasps pretty noisily, without controlling it, when he sees Aylis. She is definitely not the little girl she used to be. She has grown up, from everywhere, he notices as his eyes wander on her body. He holds his breath, blowing up his cheeks, and a sigh escapes his lip. By him, he sees Ser Davos looking down, his shoulders shaking as if he was crying. Stannis frown first, and then rolls his eyes when he hears the little stifled cries: Davos is laughing, not crying. His wife nudges him and Stannis keeps scowling at him. Davos rubs his face and looks up straight, his face red and his eyes shining with tears. The groom focuses again on his future wife, walking closer and closer of him. Her father leaves her before the stairs, and she walks up to Stannis alone: he holds his hand at her, and she takes it with a smile. They turn to listen to the septon, and the ceremony begins. When the septon tells him so, he takes off the cloak embroidered with the trout sigil, and carefully wraps the stag's cloak around her shoulders. She turns again to him, they kiss, and here they are married.

The feast occurs right after, and Aylis dances the first dance with her father, according, here again, to the tradition. The second dance is for Stannis and he joins her, a bit ashamed, not even knowing if he would be a good dancer. He wraps his arm around her waist, and takes her hand in his free one. The musicians start playing, and he follows her rhythm. She is silent, but smiles widely, her eyes shining with happiness. He would like to say something, but is scared of ruining it. He chooses his words carefully:

"You are very beautiful, my Lady", he says, smiling slightly.

She really is, he thinks as she blushes and thanks him with a nod. Her skin is white as milk, her blue eyes piercing. Her lips are well curved and always smiling, and he can feel the smooth of her hair as it tinkles his hand, resting on her kidneys. The dress she is wearing highlights her curves, perfect: round and rather big breasts, flat stomach, round hips and well-rounded butt. He cannot see her legs but he is sure they are as beautiful as the rest. He keeps dancing with her, enjoying the moment, finding it nice to talk with her, but, as the song finishes, he goes back to his seat, by Lord Hoster's, and watches her dance successively with her brother in law Ned, her brother in law Jon, Robert, Renly, and even Robb and Jon Snow, Ned Stark's bastard. He notices Catelyn pales a bit when she sees them, but no one seems to care.

He gets bored after a moment, and Aylis looks tired to dance. She comes back to him, red and her hair messed up, but her smile enlightens her face. She swallows a cup of water and leans over him:

"Shall we go to bed, my Lord?"

He freezes slightly but nods, and they both stand up.

"Lord Stannis expressed his wish to not have a bedding ceremony", Hoster says and most men express their disapproval, half laughing, half serious. "Let's wish our young married couple a good night."

"Good night!" the assembly raise their cups and, above everyone else, Robert's voice rings out:

"Enjoy your night, brother!"

Stannis reddens and quickly leads Aylis out.

They don't speak as they walk through the corridors, Stannis feeling Aylis's nails digging into his arm. She takes the lead, opening the door of her room slowly. Stannis gets in, swallowing hard with apprehension, and looks around. The room is nice, with two windows from where he can see the rivers, and the entrance of the castle. A bed is standing against the wall, a carpet in front of a fireplace, and a wooden desk is near the windows. It is clean and tidy, he notices. He hears Aylis locking the door and turns to her. She walks to him, her heart racing in her chest, and, without a word, makes him take his tunic off. He feels the fabric of the cloth brushing his face and he folds it before laying it on the table. Underneath, he is wearing another leather tunic, laced up and Aylis's fingers unlace it slowly. He stares at her, wishing to say something but what? He does not know. Soon, he feels the cold air on his naked chest and Aylis's sweet hands stroking him makes him shiver even more.

"I will light a fire", she whispers and walks to the fireplace. He watches her put wood in it, setting them in fire, and walking back to him. He still does not know what to say to her. Aylis shyly kisses his cheek, and turns around, grabs her long braid and moves it away from her dress, turning her face to Stannis. He gets closer, brushes the back of her neck, and proceeds to unlace it in turn. His heart beats so fast he feels it is going to explode. Aylis slides the straps off her shoulders, and steps away from it as it falls on the carpet. Instinctively, Stannis bends down to take it and place it with his tunic. It's only when he stands back straight that he realizes she is almost naked in front of him, wearing only a petticoat. Not even knowing why, he looks away, and takes a step back. He tries to remember what Cressen has told him to do, but he has forgotten everything. Aylis chuckles, but not mockingly, and strokes his hands:

"I am your wife, Stannis. Look at me..."

He gives her a shy look, cursing himself but unable to do otherwise. She wraps her arms around him and he feels her warm breasts against his chest. He closes his eyes, and dares touch her, his hands running slowly on her back and her shoulders. They remain embraced for a moment, before Stannis becomes bolder and walks behind her. He slowly undoes the ribbon that was keeping her braid, and lets her hair run freely on her back. He gets back in front of her, and runs his hand through her hair. She cups his face and pulls him close, kisses his lips softly. He kisses back, and raises an eyebrow when her tongue tries to find its way into his mouth. He parts his lips, and she strokes his tongue with hers. He tries to follow her rhythm and to not look to inexperienced, but he soon needs to breathe and he moves a bit away. Aylis smiles at him and kisses down, feeling the warmth of his neck, his jugular pulsing violently against his skin, his parted lips letting escape a sigh. Her hands quickly unlace his breeches and she leans on him, her palms groping his naked butt as she pushes the breeches down. He gasps with surprise and discomfort and closes his eyes when her lips reach his chest, lick his nipples. He stays here, dangling arms, not knowing what to do, where to stroke her. He is ten years older, and she looks more sure than he would ever be. Suddenly, she kneels down and smothers his belly with kisses. He is not very hairy, she notices, just a bit of hair around his nipples and a dark line of hair from his navel to his sex. Aylis glances at it, resting against thick pubic hair. With every kisses, she gets closer from it, and Stannis takes her hands. She looks up and he reddens:

"Hold on..."

He quickly walks to a bucket with water and washes this area. Aylis stays on the carpet and watches him, before holding her hand at him so he joins her again. She runs her lips on his groin and he gasps.

"Is it pleasant, my Lord?" she asks, looking up. He nods and closes his eyes, swallowing hard. He is about to make her stand up when she suddenly licks his shaft. He gasps louder, biting his lower lip right after. How does she have the idea of doing this? Before he can react, she does it again, and again, and again, and he feels his sex stiffing.

"My Lady", he starts, "I am not sure you..."

She wraps her lips around his shaft and bobs her head up and down. He knows he should stop her, for this is not what a lady should do, but he is unable to, pleasure making him shiver. It is beyond compare with what he could feel when he was stroking himself.

Aylis stares at him, watching his reactions, knowing that his body enjoys her strokes. The woman from the brothel has been right: this is quite pleasant, his skin tastes fresh and like water. She helps herself with her hand, wrapping her fingers around him, moving up and down with the rhythm of her mouth. Soon, he is completely hard, and his foreskin pulled back. She knows it is a sensitive area for men and focuses there for a moment, making Stannis gasps again, and recoiling when she licks his fraenulum, tasting something salty. She pulls back, his size hurting her mouth slightly, but she keeps stroking, looking up and smiling at him.

Stannis makes her stand up again, and imitates her as he kisses her neck. She tilts her head and sighs with pleasure. He slides her petticoat down and she moves away from it, pushing it away with her foot. Stannis takes her to the bed, and she lies down on her back, revealing her naked body to his eyes. She is truly beautiful, he thinks, his hand exploring the smooth skin, white and flawless, the big and round breasts, white as milk, and the pink nipples contrasting with them. He lies next to her, his hand resting on her hips, his lips laying sweet kisses on her breasts. She arches her back and sighs again, and he sticks out his tongue to lick the pink nipples. They immediately react to his strokes, and harden, Aylis's hands grabbing his hair. He feels his own sex jolting slightly and holds back a chuckle. He moves to get upper her, licks and sucks on the other nipples, and Aylis sighs his name, in such an erotic way he reddens. He keeps tasting her diaphanous skin, going down as she has done with him, reaching her stomach, her navel. She moans loudly as he kisses her inner thighs, and he stares at her sex for a moment, stroking it gently. It is already wet, and she protests but he quickly pulls his face closer and the tip of his tongue brushes the length of her slit.

Aylis moans, half with discomfort, half with pleasure. She stands on her elbows: "Please, I need to..." She cannot finish, his tongue exploring her flesh fully and she spreads her leg in a totally inconvenient way, but unable to restrain herself. The pleasure burns her, makes her legs shake violently and her back arch against his face. "Gods", she mutters, clenching her fists on his hair, then stroking it gently. It is so different than when she stroked herself, so much better. She never thought it would be that good, even if she has always been sure he would know how to pleasure her. She feels him sucking her clitoris and she moans loudly, unable to hold it back. Does it excite him more? She does not know but his tongue licks her very quicker suddenly, the tip of it rubbing her clitoris so fast her moans turn constant. She hardly can get her breath back and pleasure becomes soon unbearable. She feels how close she already is, and encourages him to go on, leaning on his head, and watching him do. He never looks at her, she does not know why, and stops wondering when her climax overwhelms her and makes her cry out his name. She lays back on the sheets, her brow sweating a bit. She quickly wipes it off and he crawls back to her, puts some pillows against the hard wood of the bed, and sits there.

Stannis looks at her, discreetly wiping his lips away, not sure she would enjoy the taste of her on his lips. Aylis crawls to him in turn and straddles him, kissing his brow and his cheeks, and, as she takes his lips in a passionate kiss, she grinds her sex on his. He groans with the pleasure of feeling her smooth and her wetness, but gives her time to decide when he should penetrate her. He does not have to wait for long. He feels her hand firmly grabbing his cock, and she rubs it on her clitoris and places it at her entrance. The very tip of it finds its way in, and she gasps, but not with pain. He stares at her, moving the locks of hair from her face, pushing them behind her shoulders, and he cups her breasts in his hands, slowly licks and sucks them. She sits down, hesitantly and he feels immediately the resistance Cressen has told him about. She cries out, stops moving, and he strokes her back, trembling under his strokes. He never thought it would be that resisting to his. He was imagining it as a very thin membrane that could easily be ripped.

Aylis leans her brow against her husband's one, breathing slowly, trying to ease the pain the best she can. As it feels better, she goes down again and cries louder, feeling tears in her eyes. The soothing hands and lips of Stannis don't do much, and she bites her lip, her body shaking with the pain that rips her body apart. Now she understands what Lysa meant when she was talking about her first time. She feels like a burning sword has been shoved in her sex. Her arms tightly wrapped around Stannis's neck, she waits, not moving from a single inch, for her sex to allows him to get in, for her body to stop refusing him access. She could stay here forever, with his hands running all along her back, stroking her hips and her hair, and his lips gently trying to ease the pain with sweet kisses. She looks at him, strokes his face and unites her lips with his. She can feel how wet she is, how excited, and moves back down again, until her groin touch Stannis's. She whimpers with pain and shivers more violently than ever, but, at least, he is as deep as he could be now. For a moment, she is unable to move, as if she was anchylotic, paralyzed by the pain that radiates her body.

Stannis has felt how it sounded awfully painful for her and truly feels sorry that she would remember this night as a chore. But, now he is deep inside her, he cannot help but thinking how good it feels. It is all warm and wet, like a comfy refuge. He does not know how long she stays still against him, but she starts grinding slowly, and the first painful moans turn into pleasured ones. Her hands on his shoulders stroke his skin and he bends down on each of her arms to kiss the flawless skin. He feels the top of her feet on his thighs, just above his knees, and he strokes the hips, holding onto them to feel them move. He wonders if he should move with her and, placing his feet on the sheets, folding his legs slightly, he gives a thrust. She yelps, and moans an approving "yes". He does it again, and she moves with him, moaning louder and louder. Gaining self confidence, he runs his hands to her shoulders, and leans slightly on them as he now thrusts pretty fast in her. She stops grinding, wraps her arms around his neck, buries her face in the crook of it, and moans his name. Stannis closes his eyes, hearing the bed noisily creaking, his body slapping against hers. He does not know if it is terribly exciting or terribly embarrassing. But the pleasure he feels makes him forget everything, even that she is a virgin. He speeds up again, his breath shortening, and she now grabs the headboard and stops moving suddenly, letting him thrusts faster and harder in her. He stares at her though, watching her reactions but he sees no pain, pure ecstasy in her eyes and her moans. His hands try to keep the grip but her hips are now sweaty and he chooses to grab her shoulders. The bed makes terribly noisy sounds, and he feels he should slow down but he cannot. He looks down on her breasts, bouncing so violently with his thrusts he wonders how this cannot be painful, and leans down to devours them eagerly. Aylis yelps and her body shakes violently, she tightens a lot around his sex, and Stannis abandons her breasts to leans his head back and lets his climax overwhelming him.

Aylis feels him come in her, his body jolting and shaking, and she holds him tightly, leaning his face on her sweaty chest. She leans her head back, a marvelled laugh escapes her mouth and she strokes his hair, rubs the sweaty back of his neck. Her own sex is deliciously sore, and pulses violently around his cock. She soon pushes it out, and they tenderly kiss before she moves away. "Oh", she does, biting her lip, when she feels the blood that has stained the sheets but also Stannis's thighs. He does not look shocked or surprised, simply tells her to wash herself. As she does so, he takes the sheets off and puts them on the cold slabs, before making the bed again with fresh sheets. Aylis is now clean and lies down, and Stannis wipes her blood away with water and soap. He notices with surprise that the fire is almost dead, and puts two more logs to get the fire going again. Aylis is watching him with a smile and he soon joins her in bed. He lies down, wrapping an arm around her, and she immediately leans her face on his chest, playing with the hair around his nipples, her legs leaning on his thigh. He strokes her hair and kisses her brow, whispering:

"I am sorry you have ached..."

Aylis turns to him and strokes his cheek:

"I wouldn't trade my place with any woman's in this world. I love you, Stannis."

He looks down at her, pulling her closer, wishing to thank her, but no words come. The tips of his fingers brush her shoulder and her arm and, as she gets heavier on him, he knows she has fallen asleep. Slowly, he arches his back to blow the candle by her bed, and snuggles closer to her, adjusting the sheets on her body so she is not cold, and falls asleep in turn.


	36. Chapter 36

_Riverrun, the following morning_

The sun is shining brightly in the Riverlands's sky, warming up the rooms of the castle. His back bared by his movements of the night, Stannis wakes up slowly with the heat of the sun rays on his skin. His eyes still closed, he blind grabs the sheets, and covers his back with a sigh of contentment. The Lord tries to fall back asleep but he cannot, and, as he ends up opening his eyes, he gasps slightly as he sees Aylis asleep by his side, on her back, the sheets only covering the bottom of her body. It is the first time in his life he wakes up by someone's side, and he almost forgot, in his sleep, that he has gotten married the day before. His wife is sleeping peacefully, her face turned to him, her arms folded above her head. He can't help but smiling as he looks at her, obviously exhausted by the night they had.

They had made love twice more in the night: Stannis has woken up first with a painful hard on, that reminded him of the siege. The gods know why, it often happened to him back then, and he had to grit his teeth and to wait for it to stop. Back then, he could have not lost energy jerking off, and, anyways, he has never been fond of this. He has always felt weirdly ashamed of doing it alone, at night, in his bed. But, now he is not alone and he has turned to Aylis, stroked and kissed her neck. A whimper escaping her lips and her hand grabbing firmly his sex has let him know she has not been that asleep. He has lied on her and had slipped inside as easily as if it has been years they have been together. He had not lasted long, overexcited, and has fallen back asleep right after he has come, still in her. The third time has happened right before dawn, this time Aylis has started it. Exhausted, Stannis could not remember how it has been, really, because his eyes were half closed, even though his body has been responding to her strokes. He remembers she has come, this time and only then, because the sensations have been really different. This time, she has lied on him and has fallen back asleep soon. He has not resisted long and has drifted off to sleep in turn.

He remembers the events of the night, his face and body turned to his wife: he has been dubious about this wedding from the day Robert has announced it, but, he starts thinking this could be great, actually. She is very in love with him; he appreciates her spirit and her smartness. He would maybe end up loving him in turn. Seeing that she does not wake up, he silently leaves the bed, checks that the sheets have not suffered from the two last times, and walks to the little room by hers where he can take a piss. He washes his hand and his sex after, and, as he joins her, he sees she has woken up, and is looking at him with a huge grin. She bites her lip when she sees he's naked, and Stannis reddens like a little boy. He quickly joins her in the warmth of the sheets and she snuggles against him:

"Good morning", he says.

"Morning. What time is it?" she asks, looking through the window.

"Not early", Stannis smiles. "We should get up. I have things to show you", he argues.

She moans disapprovingly:

"I want cuddles", and wraps her arms around him. He is about to protest but he shuts his mouth and strokes her back slowly, enjoying the warmth of her body against his. Her hand strokes his chest and she looks up at him:

"What will our life look like?"

He looks down frowning:

"What do you mean?"

"Where will we live?" she precise.

"I usually live in King's Landing, as I am Robert's master of ships. But we will go to Dragonstone first, so you meet your new people. Then, you will come with me in the capital, if you wish it", he explains.

She smiles at him:

"Of course, I want to live with you."

"So be it", he nods.

"And…" she nibbles her lip. "When I am with child, I would like my first one to be born here, in Riverrun."

Stannis strokes her cheek gently:

"I understand. If it is possible, we will do it", he nods at her.

"Thank you", she pecks his lips and sits up, rings a bell so handmaids get in and take care of her. That's when she realizes Stannis is still here:

"Oh, sorry. I am not used to it yet. Well…"

She quickly hides him under the sheets, until his neck. He chuckles:

"Are you ashamed of me?"

"Not at all. I just don't want my handmaids to be jealous of my luck", she laughs and lays a loud kiss on his cheek. "Stay here until I'm dressed up."

The handmaids arrive quickly, and Aylis washes herself before letting them dress her up. Stannis notices their glance towards him, and the stifled giggles, but does not pay too much attention to them. They announce the lunch will be served soon. When they leave, he stands up and dresses up in turn.

"Before eating, I wish to show you some things", he tells Aylis, standing by him, helping him dressing up again. He forgets about the second tunic, the one he has been wearing for the wedding, and they walk out, hand in hand. He leads her out of the castle, and places his hands on her eyes. Silently, he leads her to the stables, tells her to keep her eyes closed as he leads her horse out of her box. As it's standing in front of her, he tells her to look and she opens her eyes. She squeals so loudly the horse recoils violently, and she throws herself on Stannis, kissing him deeply.

From a corner of the stables, Cressen and Davos exchange a knowing look.

"She is perfect", the Knight says.

"I have tried to make him understand for years, since this first letter she sent him. But, he is so stubborn", Cressen shakes his head.

Davos chuckles when he sees how happy she looks and he smiles at Cressen:

"No man deserves more to be happy than him."

Cressen smiles in turn, leaning against a wooden post:

"I know, Ser Davos. I know it very well."

They keep watching as their Lady gets on her horse and make it gallop along the courtyard. The smile she gives them warm up their hearts more than the sun shining high in the sky.


	37. Chapter 37

_Welcome to the new followers/readers, thank you all for your reviews! Means a lot to me!_

 _Riverrun, 288 AC_

Ill at ease, Stannis watches his wife, wrapped against her brother's chest, crying her eyes out. The fortnight is over, and they need to leave back south, where her new life awaits her. Her sisters are around her, Catelyn gently stroking her shoulders while Ned is waiting for her as well. Stannis glances at Lysa, cold as ice, not looking even sad to leave her father and brother again, rather…relieved, weirdly. He looks back at his wife, still closely embracing her brother, and Hoster, standing by their side, looks up at him and smiles slightly:

"Come on, Aylis, your husband is waiting for you."

Stannis says:

"We have time, my Lord. No need to hurry her."

What could he do? Wrest her from her brother and puts her on her horse by force, when they all know here that next time she will see him will probably be when Hoster will be close to die? He cannot do this. She has to grieve over her life in Riverrun, over her childhood, as he had to grieve over the loss of Storm's End. She has to take her time. Aylis ends up moving away from her brother's arms, and kisses her father before getting on her horse quickly. She gives a last long look at him and Edmure, his eyes filled with tears going on running on his cheeks. He forces himself to smile, as he watches his family riding away. Edmure has never been alone in Riverrun, and he feels he is saying goodbye to his childhood as much as Aylis has said goodbye to hers the night Stannis has taken her. When they cannot see them anymore, he and Hoster sadly get back in the castle.

They leave Ned, Cat and the boys just outside of the castle, as they head north and Lysa, Aylis, Jon and Stannis head south, to King's Landing. Aylis bids farewell to them, still crying, and she keeps on mourning as they go on riding. Lysa has exasperated sighs and starts telling her, very coldly, that there is no need for her to cry, that she is the Lady of Dragonstone, and a lot of other things Aylis does not even hear. Stannis does, though, and quickly rides to Jon to ask him that he makes his wife quiet. Jon whispers something in his wife's ear, and she indeed shuts it. Riding by Aylis's side, Stannis hears her sobbing, trying to stifle her cries: he would like to solace her, to comfort her, to ease her pain, but he has no idea how to do this. Hesitantly, he makes the reins pass in his left hand, and his right hand goes on Aylis's one, clenched on her reins, and he strokes her as softly as he can. Aylis stares at his hand, then at him, but he doesn't look at her, he stares at the road in front of him. She moves her hand away, takes his and brings his hand to her lips, laying a long kiss on it.

As they end up getting in King's Landing, after several weeks, Aylis is officially introduced at the Court as Lady Aylis Baratheon, Lady of Dragonstone. On a night while they were travelling south, Stannis has asked her if she wanted to keep the name of Tully. He would not have mind, as the Tullys and the Baratheons are both great Houses of Westeros. But Aylis has almost seemed shocked by what he has said and she had sat up slowly, staring at him. "I love you", she has said, "and I am so proud of being your wife. You have…no….idea how proud I am. I want to bear your name. I will always be a Tully, but being called Aylis Baratheon, it is…" She has paused a few seconds. "The greatest honor of my life." Stannis has been speechless for a few seconds, unable to react correctly. He has just nodded and pulled her closer.

Robert and Cersei have not travelled with them, and are already back in the capital when Stannis reaches it. They welcome Aylis, Robert warm as usual, Cersei more cold. Stannis takes her to what will be their apartments now. Aylis beams and looks around with marveled eyes, coming from the first time in King's Landing. Stannis and she keep visiting the Red keep, from the gardens to the Tower of the Hand, and Stannis explains to her she will be a part from the Queen's court. Aylis nods, feeling a bit weird suddenly: Cersei freaks her out, and she really hopes she will not have to spend too much time here with her. They stay for two days in King's Landing, before sailing to Dragonstone.

Aylis spends the trip bent over the rail, spewing all over the sea. She has never been on a boat and Stannis stares at her with a raising eyebrow: the sea is very calm, he does not understand why she is so sick. Or maybe she is already pregnant, he thinks with a slight smile. Maester Cressen stays at her side, trying to make her drink something against her sickness, but she refuses everything, saying she is going to get used to it. When they get to Dragonstone, she is the first one to touch the sand of the beach. She lets out a loud sigh of relief and blushes when she realizes Stannis is observing her. The day is sunny, and she admires the view as she walks on the wall leading them to the castle, very impressive in its own way. Compared to Riverrun, she thinks it is pretty ugly but she does not really care. She is home, with her husband. That is the only thing that matters. She slips her arm under his as they walk, and he introduces her to the castle and the servants, the knights, the serving girls and so on. She smiles at all, and Stannis takes her to a room. When he opens the door, she steps in a cozy chamber, with a bed, a wooden desk, quills and ink, parchments. She turns to her husband:

"What is this place?" she asks curious.

"Your chamber, my Lady", Stannis replies as if it is obvious, showing the Tully flag pinned on the wall. Aylis gapes a bit:

"Won't we sleep together?!"

"I thought… Most ladies have their own chambers", he retorts, disconcerted.

Aylis looks like she is about to cry:

"I do not want to be like them"

She gets closer and wraps her arms around his neck, before running her hands all over his chest:

"I want to spend every night with you, in OUR chamber. Not yours, not mine, OURS", she insists.

Stannis restrains himself from slipping his tongue in her mouth, and nods calmly:

"As my Lady wishes."

Aylis smiles and walks out.

"I wish to meet the small folk now."

Stannis nods and gives order to the servants first, ordering to turn this chamber into an empty room, ready to be transformed again when the Lady will be pregnant. They nod, and leave. Stannis joins Aylis and, together, they ride away from the castle, meeting the people of Dragonstone, the peasants, the smiths, the tailors. She nods at them and smiles, giving the poor money, shaking hands and kissing babies' heads. Stannis stares at her, admiring her, so young, and already so accustomed with her duty. Lord Hoster has raised her well, he thinks, or maybe it is her, and solely her. Her grace, her beauty, her charm, her sweetness and kindness, make her loved by anyone she meets. The Lord has noticed how Ser Davos and Maester Cressen have been towards her, all smiles and bows in front of her. And him, he remembers how he has reacted when Robert has announced their marriage, how ashamed and humiliated he has felt, and how Maester Cressen has tried to reassure him. His legs have been shaking when he has stood up, and his face red with the shame he has felt. Has Robert ever thought they would truly be a good match? Has it always been political? Or, worse, has he meant this marriage as another humiliation for his brother, so the whole realm would mock him? If so, Robert would soon be disappointed. The girl is revealing herself a true Lady, a Lady Stannis could never be ashamed of. And this night, as she joins him and undresses in front of him, Stannis looks at her, hangs on every movements she does, on every part of her body she reveals. She joins him in bed, and he strokes her face, gently, softly, when his heart is already racing. He dives in her body, as he dives in her soul, allowing himself to feel at least, to feel how it is to love and to be loved.


	38. Chapter 38

_**Dragonstone, 289 AC**_

« Don't go… I beseech you, don't go… »

She has been following him all day long, whether he would go on the quays, talk to his soldiers, eat a piece of fish, be with Ser Davos. And, all the time, she has been repeated those words. They are in their chamber now, and he turns to her with a nasty look, tired of her whining.

"Shall I remind you my titles, wife?" he coldly retorts.

He does not want to be mean to her, but it seems this is the only way to make her understand. Aylis looks down, ashamed:

"No, my Lord."

She looks up at him and her cheeks are still covered with tears.

"And shall I remind you I already had to say goodbye to a man who left for war, my Lord?" she defiantly retorts, her voice shaking, but still defying.

"A man who came back", Stannis says. "As I intend to come back."

He walks to her, and places his hands on her shoulders. Their life has been perfect from the day they married: she has been enjoying life in King's Landing, he has been enjoying being the master of Ships. Cersei is pregnant with Robert's second child and everyone is praying for another boy. But, as usual, Stannis's happiness has not lasted. A few days ago, Robert has told him Balon Greyjoy, the Lord of the Iron Islands, has declared war to Robert. Balon does not want the throne for himself, but wants independence for the Iron Islands. It has all started when they burnt the Lannister's fleet, in Lannisport. A surprise attack that has shocked everyone in Westeros. The Iron born are feared and despised in Westeros: to many people, they are rapists and savages, not very better than Dothrakis. They enjoy nothing more than burning and sacking mainland villages. And as islander, they are immensely proud of their islands.

"It is my duty to fight against the people who threaten my brother and my King. You do understand this, I am sure", he says more nicely.

"I do not ask you to not go. Just to….delay your departure… from a few weeks…." She hesitantly says.

"Why?" Stannis frowns.

Aylis stares at him intently and he frowns first, not understanding.

"Oh…" he does first, unsure, then stares down at her body, and the smile she gives him makes him be sure of what is going on here. "Oh!" he smiles. "Are you sure?" he asks again.

"Cressen confirmed it to me yesterday. Please, Stannis, please, wait… A moon, I ask you just a moon…"

He would like to say yes, he would love nothing more but to stay here with his wife, but he is unable to. He has never been fond of combating like Robert is, but he owes his brother obedience and respect. He cups her face and lies along kiss on her mouth. She smiles, thinking she has won, but her smile vanishes:

"I will be back soon. Now, I have to be with my men", he says, gives a stroke on her belly and walks out silently. Aylis tries to stay strong but she sits on the bed and breaks down in tears, wrapping her hands on her belly and sways slowly.

As he walks out, Stannis passes by Cressen and grabs his arm:

"When did you intend to tell me?"

"Tell you what, my Lord?" Cressen frowns confused.

"Do not play with me, Maester. You know very well what I am talking about. Lady Aylis."

"It was hers to tell you, my Lord, not mine. Are you happy?" he frowns again seeing how angry his master looks.

Stannis frees him a bit brutally and walks away. Without turning to him, he says:

"I will be happy when I will have destroyed the Greyjoys, and that I will be back to my wife."

Cressen watches him leave, and knocks on their chambers' door.

Stannis's fleet departs the day after. Aylis is standing by the ships, as all the other women who are bidding farewell to their husbands crying, just like her. She guesses Stannis disapproves her crying but what can she do about it? She has turned fourteen a few weeks before all this, married since a year or so, and having to fear for her husband with every minute until he comes back. If he comes back. But he has to, for she does not want to raise her child alone. As he watches her, on the deck, the ship sailing away, she waves at him with one hand, the other resting on her stomach. The message is clear enough for him. He nods slightly, and she knows he has understood.

 _ **Greyjoy fleet, 289 AC**_

Victarion watches his men laughing and showing each other what they have sacked in the villages they have attacked. He smiles slightly, and turns to the sea, calm and helpful. He has loved the sea from the day he has been born, loved her more than any woman he ever had. When his brother has declared he wanted independence, when their father, Quellon, had indeed done everything to strengthen his links with Robert and the Iron Throne, Victarion has not been surprised. None of the men have objected. Balon is their Lord, and the Ironmen love fighting and sailing as much as raping and sacking. Balon has been offering them everything they wanted. Euron has planned the attack on Lannisport: Euron has always been vicious and smart, when Victarion has probably been the best warrior of them both. Their alliance would be unstoppable, and, for now, it has been a success. Victarion has been the one who set fire to Tywin Lannister's ship and he still smiles when he thinks about it. After this, the war has been worse for them: Rickard, Balon's eldest son, has been slayed while he has been attacking Seagard, and now they have been sailing to meet Stannis. Victarion has no doubt he would win: the Greyjoys are the masters of the sea. What would a stag know of it? It would be scared of even approaching it to drink. The Kraken would grab his antlers and drowns it as easily as if it would be a piece of wood. Victarion suddenly commands his men to be silent: south, right in front of them, the Royal fleet is sailing to them. A nasty smile curls up his lips.

"Prepare for the battle!" he yells and the men cheer.

He gets impatient more and more as they get closer, those ugly ships with stags's heads carved in the wood. Such a stupid symbol for a fleet, he thinks, and unsheathes his blade. He hopes he will have the King's brother: that would be a great spoil of war. Not that he has any intentions to keep him alive. He would send him back to his king brother, piece by piece. He could almost see him, on the deck of his ship. He is about to launch the attack, when one of his men yells:

"Ships! Ships!"

"We see them, idiot!" Victarion groans.

"Behind us, my Lord!" the man points at the stern of their ships.

Victarion rushes there, and sees roughly the same number of ships north of him.

"Your orders, my Lord?" the soldier asks, totally panicked.

Victarion is about to speak when he hears a terrible sound: he rushes to the rail. He sees the Fury, Stannis's ship, digging its antlers in the Golden Storm, his younger brother's Aeron's ship. Men yell, and the noise of the wood cracking is deafening. In an instant, the ship is destroyed, and Stannis orders the attack on the other ships. Victarion gets ready and tries to board one of the ships, but the Royal fleet is more numerous, have more men, and it's him who is boarded. He fights valiantly, killing every man who dares attack him. He cannot even hear the men yelling with the sound of the ships getting crashed, one after another. A huge impact makes him fall on the deck, and he knows a ship has crashed his. The Golden Storm sinks and he cannot see his brother anywhere, probably dead with his men. But, suddenly, he notices Baratheon men heaving a body on their own ship, and he recognizes Aeron. Prisoner, but alive. He feels arms grabbing him and throwing him in a small boat, and his men row away from the battle, knowing it is lost.

After this battle, everybody knows the Iron born have lost their rebellion. Stannis sails to Great Wyk, and besieges it, when Ser Barristan Selmy does the same with Old Wyk. But the outcome of the rebellion is set in Pyke, the greatest city of the Iron Islands, the stronghold of the Iron Lords. Robert and his army besiege the castle and break its walls with siege machine. The battle is fierce, the Ironborn valiant but they are outnumbered. One of Balon's son is killed when a tower collapse during the battle. When it is clear that they have lost, he bends the knee to Robert, and the King forgives him, somehow. What Balon has expected did not happen and the cost is terrible for him. Westeros has stood beside his king, and Balon has lost two sons. Three indeed, as Theon, his youngest one, is taken away by Ned Stark, as a hostage, to be sure Balon remains loyal to the throne.

 _ **Meanwhile, in Dragonstone**_

Aylis has lived in King's Landing for a few weeks when Stannis has left for war. She has been here for three days, when Cersei has noticed she was pregnant. Both would probably deliver around the same period, Cersei has told her in front of everyone. Aylis has hated it: no one knew she was pregnant, and she wanted to keep it this way. Thus, she has needed to write to her father and her siblings, to tell them about the baby. As soon as it has been done, she has sailed back to Dragonstone, and has been sick as hell, as usual when she has been on a boat. There, she has been ruled the castle, taken care of her people, inquired about the harvests and the well being of the small folks. The days have been long and exhausting, but it was her duty. She has started to talk like her husband, Cressen has noticed with a smile. The news of the war was scarce, she just has known about her husband's victory, and the siege of Pyke. For days, she has looked for his sails to bring him back to her, as she did when she was a little girl and that her father was leaving Riverrun.

Tonight, she is walking through the corridors, half stumbling, leaning against the walls of the castle. In a sweat, she whimpers with pain and holds her belly, as if she is scared it could fall off her body. She tries to call but is unable to, and ends up reaching Cressen's door, knocking feverishly on it. She only waits for a few seconds before the door opens: she falls in his arms, and he calls for help.

Aylis probably collapses, because when she opens her eyes again, she is in a bed, with handmaids, and Cressen standing by her. An awful pain rips her guts off and she grinds her teeth to not yell. She then starts to cry, but not because of the pain.

"It can't be time… I can't… I need him… He needs to be here…" she mutters deliriously.

"The baby is close to get out, my Lady. There is no way we can wait", Cressen explains, laying a cold hand on her brow, trying to comfort and reassuring her. Aylis can see the sunset outside, on the sea, one of the most beautiful moments of the day. Maybe she can force her body to wait; maybe Stannis will be here today. But there is no time for this, and she feels a sudden urge to push. She tells Cressen, and he tells him to do it. A handmaid goes by her side, and she holds her hand tightly, squeezing it as she pushes. She does not yell or shout; she takes deep breaths, and blows out slowly, as she has seen Catelyn doing so when she has delivered Robb. As if you wanted to blow on a candle but not blow it away completely. She remembers her sister's words when she has described it to her. She can hear her voice in her head, her laugh. She imagines her seeing her children play together, wondering too if they have to live without their father. Aylis pushes, again and again, until she feels an unbelievable sensation in her belly, while her baby's shoulders get down and out off her. She can feel it is the shoulders, when she has no idea of what it was a few seconds before. Cressen tells her to stop pushing and she sits up slightly, leaning on her elbows, staring at him. The old maester stares at something, his eyes shining with tears, and, suddenly, he takes out of her a small baby, who cries after a second. She holds her arms at it, but he first wraps a blanket around the baby. The handmaid behind her smiles hugely: "Congratulations, my Lady." Aylis turns to her and leans on her, exhausted but happy, and though unable to say anything. Cressen cuts the cord, and places the bundle in her arms. She moves the blanket away and stares at the baby, dark haired and with dark blue eyes. It stops crying as soon as it is against her and Cressen washes and wipes his hands away. Aylis stares at him, catching her breath slowly, and suddenly, moves the blanket a bit to watch her baby: pinky and small, but with ten fingers, ten toes and… a vulva. She dissolves into tears suddenly, and Cressen sits by her:

"Now, now, my Lady, what is it?"

"It's a girl! It… It's a girl!" she sobs.

"Yes, I know. I have seen it when I took her out of you", Cressen holds her hand gently.

"It should have been a boy! What will Stannis say? He will be so disappointed…"

The maester stares at her and hands her a tissue:

'He will not be. He will be happy you both are safe and healthy. What will be her name?"

"I… I don't know! I have never thought about girls' names. I wanted to call it Steffon", Aylis whispers miserably, looking down at her baby.

Cressen shakes his head slowly: Stannis would have not been happy with this name. Maybe it is better than the baby is a girl.

"Let's wait for our Lord to come back, and you will find a name together."

If he ever comes back, Aylis thinks silently but she remains silent, and keeps staring at her baby.

 _ **Dragonstone, 290 AC**_

Standing at the bow of the Fury, Stannis watches Dragonstone's castle appearing in the fog of the night. He has directly came back home, and his men and him walk to the castle. Walking in the silent Great Hall, he walks to his previous private chamber, and has a quick bath. He gets rid off his armor, and puts on clean breeches and a white shirt. Impatiently, he walks to the chamber he shares with Aylis, but stops as he hears a weird sound coming from the room she has denied, a year ago, when they have come back to Dragonstone after their wedding. He gets in defiantly, and gasps loudly as he sees a cradle. Hence, he has missed the birth of his firstborn. His hatred for Greyjoys now grows stronger. Silently, he walks there, and sees a sleeping baby, beautiful, dark hair covering its skull. He does not wish to wake it up, so he lays a very slight kiss on its hair, and walks away, staring at it. He walks in the silent corridor and opens the door of his chambers. Aylis is here, asleep on her belly, naked, the moon outlining her body through the windows. Staring at her, Stannis undresses quickly, folds his clothes and places them on the chair by their bed, and climbs on the bed. Above her, he smothers her body with kisses, from her ankles to her back. Aylis whimpers and wakes up, but keeps her eyes closed. "My Lord…" she whispers as he nibbles her ear lobe. "My Lady", he simply replies, and, as she spreads her legs slightly to welcome him in her warmth, he looks at her, gets on his knees and strokes her buttocks before filling her. He leans on her, moaning, his sex thrusting in her, and he whispers:

"I have seen the baby…"

Aylis moans too and turns her face to him:

"It's a girl…"

Stannis takes her lips with his in a long and passionate kiss:

"Good…"

Aylis frown slightly:

"Are you not disappointed?..."

He shakes his head and breathes harder as he speeds up:

"You will give me a son. I know it. Girls are easier to bring up for first born, I think."

Aylis nods and moans louder: she has missed him so much, and his comeback is just perfect. She leans on her elbows to arch her back more and he groans loudly, speeding up again, turning his face here on the left, here on the right, to kiss every inch of her. The bed is creaking and she beams, loving how erotic this sound is. She feels how Stannis's rhythm makes the sheets rub her clitoris and she begs for him to go faster, already close to the edge. He does so, and she feels his belly slapping against her butt, louder and cluster. She clenches her fists on the sheets and tightens hardly around him before coming. Stannis unleashes himself and makes her cry out, himself groaning and breathing hard. He moans her name as he comes in her and collapses on her back, his eyes closed, ready to drift off to sleep immediately. He feels Aylis, out of breath too, turning her head to him:

"I have not named her. I wanted to wait for you and I had no idea about a girl's name."

Stannis, his face leaning on her sweaty and burning back, his eyes closed, smiles a bit, overwhelmed by endorphins and tiredness, and mumbles:

"Shireen… Her name is Shireen…"


	39. Chapter 39

_Dragonstone, 291 AC_

Days are sweet and cheerful for Aylis and Stannis. They spend their time between Dragonstone and King's Landing, where Stannis is still a part of the small council, and Shireen grows up fine. Aylis has been a bit skeptical about this name, finding it looks like an Essos name, but Stannis has been so sure about his choice she had given in. After some months, she has to admit the name is perfect for their daughter: Shireen is an adorable baby, all smiles and babbles, very cute and sweet. She has Stannis's eyes and Aylis's cheekbones, and Stannis always says she will be gorgeous when she will be older. Aylis smiles when he says that, but often regrets that the baby is a girl. She remembers Robert's face when she has taken the baby to court for the first time, and how he has mocked Stannis for "not being able to make a son". Aylis has felt so guilty, because, to her, it has been her fault if the baby has not been a boy. She has even asked the Queen her advice on what she has done to have Joffrey. Cersei has laughed and told her there has not been anything she needed to do except spreading her legs. Aylis has blushed and has remained silent. The relationship between Cersei and Robert makes her very ill at ease. There is no love between them, everybody sees it, and she does not understand. Of course, she knows she is incredibly lucky to have Stannis, that she loves him and that he loves her, although he never says it, but she does not understand why Robert and Cersei have never grown affection towards each other. Cat and Ned have, despise their differences, and this story about his bastard boy. Aylis dislikes Robert more and more, but she has to admit he's funnier than Stannis. He has qualities, and Cersei has too, so, to her, they should love each other. She barely imagines them having sex, she wonders how it is when you can't stand the other. With Stannis, it feels more incredible every time, it surprises her that she is not pregnant again yet.

They are back in Dragonstone for a few weeks, time Stannis takes care of the business here, and Aylis is walking around the market with a small guard, Shireen in her arms. They pass by a Dornish merchant, selling all kind of toys for children and Shireen squeals, pointing her little finger to a doll. Aylis looks at it: it is not very pretty, but her daughter obviously wants it, so she gets closer from the merchant. He is a middle aged man, his face burnt by the Dornish sun, and his eyes are sweet and his smile charming.

"My Lady", he says with a strong accent, and bows.

Aylis smiles nicely at him, and points at the doll, when Shireen whimpers to have it:

"How much for this doll, merchant?" Aylis asks.

"Five coppers, my Lady", he bows again.

It is a bit expensive, but Aylis has money, and she likes to be generous with small folks. She nods at the guards and one of them gives the five coppers to the Dornishman. The man bows a last time, and holds the doll to Shireen, who squeals with happiness and presses the face of the doll against her cheek in a cute cuddle. Aylis smiles, and they leave, Shireen waving goodbye at the merchant. They keep wandering in the market and end up walking back to the castle. Aylis places Shireen in her crib, and goes eat with Stannis. They enjoy sharing their meals together, just the two of them, and they talk about the morning, what they have done, how is Westeros, and so on. Aylis tells him she bought a doll for Shireen and he warns her not to spoil her too much. Aylis rolls her eyes and stays silent. After lunch, they stay a moment together; Aylis goes and sits on his lap when the servants have cleared the table. Stannis is not very fond of cuddles, but she hopes he could change his mind, with time. Aylis loves nothing more than these cute moments, when she can stroke his cheeks, sometimes ill shaved, sometimes neat and soft as a baby's skin. Mostly, she is the one stroking, the one burying her face in his neck and smelling him as she would smell the best scent in the world, but sometimes, he allows himself to run his hands on her back, to lean his face against her neck. Then he would talk, suddenly, and tell her about memories he has from his parents, from Robert, he would worry about Renly and regret the time when they were close. She would listen, religiously, stroking his dark hair, comforting him. But today, the cuddling does not last, and Aylis goes to see Shireen, just to check everything is okay. She gets in the baby's room, silent, and she smiles as she hears the regular and sweet breathing of her baby. Just being by her side makes her feel milk rushing to her nipples and she winces slightly with the pain it causes. She gets closer, Shireen is sleeping with her baby doll, and she leans over. She frowns as she sees a weird shadow on the baby's cheek and she holds her hand to check it is nothing. She gasps when she feels a strong hand grabbing her wrist, a few inches from her daughter's cheek. Aylis turns around confused: it's Stannis who has done this; it's him who is standing by her side. She looks at him confused, and he says, seriously, and taking her away from the baby:

"Greyscale."

Aylis moves away from him:

"What are you talking about?"

"Shireen has greyscale."

He does not look sad, or even shocked, as if he was talking about a simple cold. Aylis gets back to the crib, then back at him:

"It's impossible…"

Stannis sighs, grabs a piece of cloth, goes to the crib and takes the doll off Shireen. He throws the cloth and the doll in a fire, and looks at Aylis.

"Look."

Aylis slowly walks to the crib: the baby has moved a bit, disturbed in her sleep, and is now leaning on her right cheek. Aylis wants to yell but Stannis's hand is already on her mouth and she cries loudly, her desperate shouts stifled by his hand. He holds her close, and whispers:

"We'll heal her… I will not let her die like this… You hear me…"

She nods frenetically but she has not heard anything, not listened to him. All that she knows is that her baby is going to die. Greyscale does not kill people, indeed, but it would be all the same. Extremely contagious, they would have to send her to Old Valyria, where the disease would spread and would at best drive her mad, at worse; change her into a stone girl. Stannis would not let this happen, he would kill her before, and, if she cannot, Aylis would do it. Before she knows it, Aylis is back in to her room, and she does not know who has taken her here, and where Stannis is. She hears orders shouted through the castle, to burn the sheets and everything Shireen could have touched. She hurriedly takes off her dress and throws it into the fire, lies down on her bed and cries her eyes out. She's her little girl, she cannot die like this. She sniffles loudly and gasps as she feels something wet against her, realizing milk has flooded out of her nipples and stained the bed. She gets naked and presses her breasts to extract the milk, crying now with the pain. When she feels better, she gets dressed again, and asks to see Shireen. Cressen is with the little girl, wearing a kind of mask to protect him from the infection, and Stannis refuses that her mother be with her. For hours, Aylis paces up and down, in her room: no one tells her how is Shireen, Stannis does not come to see her and she thinks she's going to become crazy. Unable to hold it anymore, she storms out of her room while the sun is setting on Dragonstone, and comes in Stannis's room, without knocking, or anything. He is sit at his desk, writing on some parchments, and he looks up at her. Mad with anxiety and sadness, she glares at him, and, with a sudden movement, sweeps away with her arm the parchments, the quills, the ink, everything that is on Stannis's desk. He does not stop her; he has not had time to do so. He just raises his hands to avoid getting ink staining his clothes and he closes his eyes with the sound of the inkwell breaking as it touches the cold damps of the room. Then he stares at her, pacing up and down like a caged lion.

"Aylis", he starts, but she turns to him with a demented look.

"How can you stay here? How can you not care about what happened? Our daughter is dying, and you don't care! What kind of father are you? You are a monster! A monster!"

She does not think any words, she just wants to hurt him, to see him reacting, to see him being angry, or sad, but to see him feel something. The look he gives to her frightens her like never, and, when he stands up, her blood turns to ice. In two strides, he is against her:

"Do you think I don't feel anything? Do you think I am not terrified like you, sad like you? Do you know what I was doing before you storm in here? I was sending letters to every maester of the realm, every apothecary, and every person able to help her! What have you done, Aylis, to help her, except yelling and crying? Do you think your tears will stop greyscale? DO YOU?" he ends up yelling and she instinctively raises her hands to protect herself. She has never been scared of him, until this moment. Aylis slowly shakes her head, trying hard to hold back her tears. Stannis walks away from her, pours a cup of water that he places in her shaking hand. She drinks slowly, shaking so much most of water pours out. She watches him grabbing all the things she had swept away and she silently joins him. He takes a new inkwell, the quill and new parchments and he writes again, still without a word. She looks at him, takes a step on to apologize but he says with a cold voice:

"Now, get out. I have work."

She does not protest and quickly leaves the room, her heart still hammering with the fear she felt.

Along the days and the weeks, people invade Dragonstone: from the North to Dorne, even coming from Essos, they are numerous to answer the letters from Stannis. With each new maester, Aylis has a new hope, which vanishes as soon as the maester leaves with apologies. Shireen is only a baby, but she feels something is wrong, and spends her days crying, and her nights whimpering. The maesters assure Aylis and Stannis she does not ache, and Aylis tries to stay the closest she can from her. Handmaids have shown her how to extract her milk and they are able to feed Shireen with it. But she dies… Aylis dies to take her in her arms, to feel her sweet breath and her lips wrapping around her nipples to suckle, her little fingers playing with the brown hair of her mother. And when she sees her mother, Shireen cries louder, staring at her, begging her to pick her up and to hold her tightly in her arms, and she does not understand why they all look at her and do nothing, nothing to ease her pain.

Several weeks later, Aylis has fallen asleep, exhausted, by the crib. The heat of Dragonston's sun makes her wince and she opens her eyes, only to be blinded by the light of the sun rays. She immediately turns to the crib, and gasps with fear when she sees it's empty.

"Shireen!" she cries out and a strong voice calmly retorts:

"Don't shout."

She turns to her husband and sees him walking around the room, holding a smiling Shireen. Aylis is happy to be sitting, for she would have fainted if she would have been standing.

"Stannis… What are you doing! You can't hold her! The greyscale…!" she stammers, afraid.

Stannis stares at her:

"Look…"

His hand slowly reaches the face of the baby, and Shireen giggles. Aylis stares at him, at his hand stroking the greyscaled cheek, and she gasps with fear.

"It's alright… She is healed…"

"Healed? How? When?" she stammers again, getting closer nevertheless.

"I don't know whose maester has healed her. I don't know if it's an apothecary. It does not matter. She is healed. Cressen confirmed it to me. She will live, and will only have her left cheek stained with the illness", Stannis calmly retorts.

The baby starts wailing, and Stannis stares at Aylis, dumbfounded, freezing, and unable to do or say whatsoever.

"I think she is hungry", he places the baby in Aylis's arms. She gasps as he does so, but he stares at her eyes:

"She is fine. She is healthy."

She trusts him and Shireen immediately rummages her nose against Aylis's breast, smelling the scent of the milk, and starving. With a swift movement, Aylis bares her breast, and she gasps almost with ecstasy as the lips close around her nipples and eagerly suckles milk out. A tear rolls down her cheek and she feels Stannis's finger wiping it away. She looks up at him, and smiles, before she leans her face against his arm, his hand strongly grabbing the back of the chair.


	40. Chapter 40

_A/N: some smut here…_

 _Dragonstone, 292 AC_

Aylis grows very protective over Shireen, after what happened. She still feels guilty, as she is the one who bought the doll for her. She often sleeps in her room, or takes her to bed with Stannis and her. He disapproves this, stating the children need to sleep in their own bed, and not in their parents' ones. But Aylis is stubborn, and often argues with him about this. The year has just begun and Stannis decides it's time for them to have some time alone. He feels like they have not seen each other in months: even for meals, she has Shireen with her. But Aylis is his wife, and thus, she has duties towards him. She has given him a taste for sex, and she is constantly refusing him lately, which drives him crazy. He feels like a teenager again, like when he was hiding himself to jerk off. Frustration grows in him, until it becomes really unbearable and he gets in Shireen's chambers one day: he's sure to find Aylis here, and he is not mistaken. Mother and daughter are together, playing on the ground. Stannis could find this cute, but all he thinks about is the desire burning his veins. And even for Aylis, it is not good to always be with Shireen, to not see anyone else or so, to cut herself from the world. They both turn to him and Shireen clumsily gets on her feet and stumbles to him. She has been walking since a few days and she gets self assurance quickly. She holds her arms at him and he picks her up, holding her close, smiling at her. Aylis stands up too:

"My Lord…" she curtseys.

He nods at her:

"My Lady… I thought we could go hawking today. The weather is perfect, and the birds are a little bored I guess."

She seems to hesitate, looking at Shireen.

"She will be fine", Stannis sighs as if he could read in her mind. "You need to get out of this castle."

She curtseys again:

"As my Lord commands."

She walks out of the room and Stannis gives Shireen to Cressen: the two of them get along well, and the baby does not cry or anything as he walks away with Aylis. She puts on a comfier outfit for hunting and they walk to the falcons, take them out. They cry impatiently, and their masters get on their horses. Stannis walks in front; Aylis slightly behind him and the falcons fly away as soon as they have passed the gates.

He turns to her as they ride to the rare trees of Dragonstone:

"How are you?..." he asks her.

She gives him a surprised look:

"I'm good of course… why do you ask?"

He places his horse closer from River and looks at her:

"I… It's been so long since we have not talked… or even be together…"

Aylis looks down and sighs:

"I know… I have been so scared for Shireen… I needed to be with her…"

Stannis chews on his cheek:

"I understand but…."

He does not know how to tell her he misses her, he misses how she was before having Shireen, and how he could sneak into their chambers at night and snuggle against her. He feels how she is staring at him, waiting for an answer, and he is about to say something when a loud cry from Fury makes his horse neigh and rearing and he falls, surprised, in a big puddle of mud. Aylis grabs the reins of his horse so he doesn't run away, and gasps:

"Are you okay?"

Stannis has fallen headfirst and spits mud out of his mouth.

"I'm fine", he stands back up and turns to her. When she sees him, his face covered with brown mud, she can't help bursting out laughing. He groans and glares at her, which she finds even funnier. He grabs the reins, and pulls his horse away.

"Not funny", he grumbles. "Your bloody bird almost killed me."

Aylis tries to calm down, and walks to him, holding her handkerchief to him.

"Your horse is too nervous, that's it", she manages to say between two giggles.

"Let's go back to the castle, I need a bath", he grumbles.

Aylis smiles and shakes her head:

"Follow me, I need to show you something…"

He wipes his face and his hands with his shirt, but does so; letting her lead him on a path he does not know. They get deep in the forest, and ride down on a dirt road. Aylis turns to him and says it is better if they go by foot then. Stannis frowns slightly but gets down from his horse and binds it by Aylis's one. They can hear the falcons crying in the sky, and Aylis takes her husband's hand to lead him through ferns. Stannis can hear water running somewhere but he does not really know where, until Aylis moves the last fern out of their way and he gapes suddenly: they are suddenly on the verge of a kind of cliff. Except, down there, there are a huge cascade and a lake. The sound is deafening and Stannis needs to shout:

"When did you find this place?"

Aylis does not answer and walks closer to the edge with a smile. Stannis stares at her:

"What are you doing?..."

"Don't be afraid, okay?" she slips the straps of her dress off her shoulders and lets it fall down on the rocks.

"Aylis, what are you…"

Before he can finish his sentence, she jumps. He tries to grab her and yells her name but she dives in the water with a huge splash. For seconds, nothing moves in the lake. He keeps calling at her, terrified, and, suddenly, she appears again, taking deep breaths. From the lake, she yells at him:

"Come! It's safe!"

She cannot go into water, and him being afraid of. He takes a few steps backwards, takes off his mud stained clothes and jumps off the cliff. The coldness of the water strikes him like a slap in his face and he gasps under water, swimming quickly to breathe out again. Aylis is by him, and she wraps her arms around his neck, staring at his beautiful eyes.

"You're all clean", she whispers, stroking his face, and he smiles at her. He turns his face to the cascade:

"Have you ever tried to see if there was something behind this?"

She shakes her head slowly:

"Do you want to?"

"No… I'm good here", he leans his head in the water again, so he's sure every little piece of mud has gone away. He feels Aylis's hands running in his hair, and he closes his eyes and smiles, loving the feeling. And then her hands venture way down south. He looks at her and kisses her suddenly; unable to restrain the passion that burns his kidneys. He feels her wrapping her legs around him and heaving herself before slowly going down, impaling herself on his shaft. Stannis groans loudly and leans down on her to suck her nipples. She leans her head back, allowing him full access and moans overtly, as water splashes all around her with the strength of his thrusts. She feels the heat of his tongue, the roughness of his scruff, the sweet bite of his teeth on her skin and she moans loudly as he hits her deepest spot. Stannis is completely demented, unleashed, and she has trouble breathing. She tries to calm him down but, at the same time, everything is so good and brings her close to the edge in a few minutes. She loves how hard he breathes too, how he restrains his moans as if it is something shameful, something he should hide. He is never truly noisy in bed: Aylis does not ask him to yell like a girl, but she often notices how he bites his lip, or hers, to stifle his noises. He barely talks as well, when she is all "yes", "go on", and stuff like this. She feels how he gropes her butt, and how he speeds up suddenly, slapping her belly hard and noisily. Aylis stares at him and digs her nails in his shoulders, scratches his back. He yelps with pain and stares back at her, speeding up again. She nibbles his lobe, as he often does to her, and whispers sweet words, before her climax hits her so violently her whole body shakes. Stannis, for once, forgets a bit about convenience and comes right after her in a loud, very loud groan, which excites Aylis even more. She holds onto him tightly, trying to ease the jolts of her body and he breathes hard against her skin, his hands leaving her butt to stroke her back.

"I want to give you a son…" Aylis whispers.

Stannis chuckles slightly, and lays a hand on her belly:

"I bet he is already on his way."

"Gods, I hope so", Aylis smiles and gently strokes his cheek, leaning a kiss on his lips. "I love you so much, Stannis. You have no idea… No idea…"

A long silence follows her words, and, her heart beating hard, she almost thinks he's going to tell her how much he loves her too. His hand strokes her hair and his voice rings out, but to say:

"We should go back…"

She nods slowly and silently, wondering if he could ever tell her so. He keeps her in his arms until the shores and they slowly walk back to their clothes, climbing up carefully. By luck, the sun is pretty hot, and they are already dry before they reach them. They dress back and walk back to their horses. On the path, Stannis takes her hand and squeezes it hard in his, and she looks at him with a smile. Maybe actions are what matter to him, and not words…


	41. Chapter 41

_King's Landing, 292 AC_

Aylis is sitting with the other ladies of the court, by Cersei's side. The weather has been very bad today, so they had to stay locked up inside. Aylis does not really care: she loves being outside, but lately; she does not feel up to any activities such as horse riding and strolls. The ladies are chatting joyfully, but Aylis is sewing, a smile roving on her lips, completely lost in mind. Even though he lives at court, Stannis has never taken a liking into fancy clothes. He would never go out and try new clothes in shops in the capital, unlike Renly for example. Is it because he lacked so much when the Rebellion occurred that the young boy has become so trivial about such things? No one knows, but Aylis knows Stannis disapproves this. The Lord of Dragonstone is not stingy, but he knows the value of money. So, today, Aylis is sewing a new shirt for him: she is very gifted, and loves more than anything trying his new clothes on. And Stannis loves wearing what she makes for him. A belly pang makes the young lady wince slightly, and she looks up to notice Cersei's look upon her. The queen does not sew. She does not talk either. She mostly sits here, watching her ladies, drinking wine. Her last child, Tommen, is one year old, and she is still breastfeeding him, but it does not bother her to drink at the same time. Her beautiful emerald eyes narrow when she locks eyes with Aylis, and the young lady swallows hard. Something about Cersei terrifies her, and she does not know how to explain it. The Queen is not mean to her or particularly nice either, but she has never been cruel like Aylis could have witnessed with other ladies. Cersei's eyes slowly look down on Aylis's body and she says:

"Since when do you know?"

"Your Grace?" Aylis asks, confused, stopping sewing for a moment.

All the other ladies turn to her and she feels embarrassed, her cheeks turning pink.

"You're with child", Cersei narrows her eyes again. "It is obvious."

She stands up and walks to Aylis, grabs quite roughly one of her breasts. She gasps with pain when she does so and Cersei laughs:

"Look how sensitive you are!"

The other ladies laugh and Lysa, Aylis's sister, who is with them all, turns to her:

"Really?"

Her lips tremble and Aylis realizes she is about to cry. Why would she cry?

Aylis looks at her sister and smiles nodding:

"I am with child indeed. But my husband does not know yet."

Lysa stares at her and suddenly hugs her tight, thing she has not done for years. It's when she notices the shaking of her body Aylis realizes her sister is crying.

"Lysa… What's wrong?" she asks softly.

"Nothing! Nothing is wrong! I will have a baby too Aylis! Our children will be born at the same moment! Is it not wonderful?" Lysa exclaims.

Some ladies beam and obviously think the scene is moving, but Cersei glares at them and huffs:

"You are pathetic, both of you."

She pours another glass of wine and downs it quickly. Aylis would like to glare at her but she is way too happy for Lysa: Jon and she have been trying for years to have a child, she had many miscarriages and they had kind of lost hope about it. It's a miracle, a true miracle. She keeps hugging her, until Lysa sits back down with the brightest smile Aylis has seen on her face for years.

She gets back to her chambers after dinner and lies in a cold and empty bed. Stannis is having business to do with Jon Arryn, as usual lately, and Aylis wonders why he spends so much time with him. But, well, Jon is pretty old, and he is the Hand of the King. Her heart hammers at the thought that maybe he is training Stannis to be the next Hand. How proud she would be… Jon would surely be an excellent teacher: he is a great Hand, especially with Robert as the King. Robert does not care about ruling, he never sits at his own councils and never gets worried about the future of the realm. Aylis loves her brother in law, he makes her laugh so hard, but she faces it easily: Robert is a bad king. Not the worst they could have, of course, but they could have so much better. Lost in thoughts, she is about to drift off to sleep when the door of her chambers open and Stannis comes in. She turns to him, sits up and smiles:

"My Lord", she nods at him. "You're late."

Stannis takes off his coat and places it on a chair, before stroking the fabric of the newly made shirt.

"Forgive me, my Lady… Is it done?" he asks, pointing at the shirt.

Aylis nods nibbling her lower lip:

"Try it on."

He smiles and swiftly takes his shirt off and passes the new one on. He turns to Aylis:

"How am I?"

"You are perfect", she honestly says, and she can see him reddening a bit. He undresses completely, and comes lay by her side. She immediately snuggles against his hot body, and strokes his spine.

"Is there a rebellion starting somewhere?" she asks after a long moment of silence.

Stannis shifts a bit and looks at her frowning:

"No… Why do you ask?"

"Any threat you will have to go and fight?" she asks again, stroking his ill-shaved cheeks.

He shakes his head:

"What is it Aylis?" he asks, frowning even more.

She stares at his eyes and smiles:

"I want you by my side when I'll give birth. I don't want to be alone, as I was with Shireen…."

Her eyes fill up with tears when she remembers that night. How desperate she had been to see him walking in and holding her hand, reassuring her. Cressen was here of course, but Cressen was not her husband. Stannis understands immediately and smiles hugely, leaning his hand against her stomach, still flat.

"I will be here. I would not miss this for all the gold of the Lannisters", he smirks.

She laughs and kisses him, happily, and, as she holds her close and strokes her hair, she wonders which woman in the realm could be happier than her at this instant.


	42. Chapter 42

_King's Landing, 292 AC_

The quill runs quickly on the parchment, leaving behind it thin and neat letters. Once the letter is finished, a strong hand grabs its seal, and applies it on the wax, sealing the letter. Then the same hand scratches the scruff of the man, and lies on the table, by the letter. Stannis is about to stand up when loud noises and laughs makes him change his mind: Robert is walking to his office. He knows it. He recognizes the heavy steps, the noisy laugh, and he hides the letter under other parchments as Robert opens the door violently. He freezes, stares at Stannis with a nasty look and suddenly bursts out laughing:

"Here he is, the father to be!"

He gets close to him and violently slaps Stannis's back.

"Robert", Stannis muffles a cry of pain. "To what do I owe the pleasure?" he asks, having trouble hiding his sarcastic tone. Robert is not fooled:

"Come on, brother! Why are you always so unhappy to see me?"

Stannis notices a cup in his hand, and Robert looks around.

"There is no wine here, you know it. Every time you come to see me, it is to mock me, or ask me to risk my life in a war serving your own interests. My apologies for being defying every time you storm in", Stannis stands up and walks to the window, leaning on the cold stones by it.

Robert gives him almost a hurt look, but quickly smiles:

"I wanted to congratulate you. Cersei told me about your wife. Let's hope it's a boy, this time."

Stannis grinds his teeth and politely nods.

"Thank you."

"Why has she left so quickly?" Robert asks again.

Aylis had left with her sister to join Riverrun and have her baby there. Stannis would join her later, when the birth would be close. He knows Robert and her are pretty close, which surprises everybody. People who usually love Robert cannot stand Stannis, and vice versa. But Aylis loves how her brother in law is always so joyful and laughing, how dirty his jokes are. Stannis thinks she can show Robert a side of herself she cannot with him.

"She told me to say goodbye to you, and that she will come back soon", he looks at his brother. "Lysa wanted to leave quickly, and Aylis could not stand staying there without her. The masters say they should give birth at the same time."

Robert nods absent mindedly: he has never been fond of pregnancies and babies, but he really wishes his brother has a son. Tommen is only one; they could play together when they are older, just like Stannis and Robert used to before sorrow and tragedy tear them apart. Remembering the nights spent dueling in a silent Storm's End, and how he was pushing Stannis to come play with him when the only thing his younger brother wanted was to finish a book, the King gets to his brother and, as gently as he can, lies a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it. His eyes fill with tears, suddenly, not really knowing why, and he says with a voice deformed by emotion:

"I wish you a son, little brother."

Stannis frowns hugely when he sees his brother is about to cry but, when he opens the mouth to thank him; Robert has already left, leaving the door wide open. Confused, Stannis stares at the door for a while before grabbing the letter he has written and walking to the ravens to send it.

 _Riverrun, same time_

Since they have reached Riverrun, Lysa and Aylis only think about themselves. Their father has insisted that they should not do anything that could be a risk for her or the babies, especially Lysa, as she has known many miscarriages. Aylis receives many letters from Stannis and spends her days sewing for her future baby. Today, Cressen comes on the balcony, where they are enjoying the warmth of a sunny afternoon. Aylis grins when she sees him. Cressen bows in front of them:

"My Ladies. Lady Aylis, if you want, I can examine you now."

Aylis nods and stands up, following him to her chambers. She has insisted that Cressen goes with her and Shireen to Riverrun. Stannis has argued Lord Tully had a maester too, but Aylis wanted Cressen. He had delivered Shireen, and she didn't intend it to be otherwise with this baby. He smiles gently at her and asks her to lie down on the bed. Used to it, Aylis takes her undergarments off, and lies down. Cressen is always careful and respectful; still she wonders what Stannis would say if he saw them like that. After a few minutes of silence, Cressen goes and washes his hands.

"Everything looks good, my Lady", he smiles. "Does the baby move a lot?"

She nods fast:

"Just like Shireen did."

"And her father before her", Cressen smiles huge. "Where is this child, by the way?"

"With my father, probably. She spends all her days with him."

"That's good", Cressen approves with a nod. "The Gods know when they will see each other again…"

Aylis agrees sadly, knowing the maester is right. They could be apart for years, and maybe not see each other again before one of them die. Hoster has been so happy to see them coming, but has slightly recoiled when he had seen Shireen's cheek. It has hurt Aylis, deep inside her, but she knew Shireen would always have to live that kind of awkward moments.

"You can go back to your sister, now", Cressen says and they both leave, Aylis to Lysa, Cressen to Riverrun's maester.

In the evening, they all gather for dinner, Hoster, Lysa and Aylis. Lord Tully sits at the head of tha table, one of his daughters on each of his sides. Lysa is tired with the pregnancy, when Aylis has never felt better. Even physically, their pregnancies are totally different: Lysa has been very sick for a long time, Aylis has not. Lysa's belly is tiny and discreet, Aylis's one is round like a balloon and imposing. Shireen does not eat with them: she is already asleep, by her mother's bed, in her castle's chambers. Aylis turns to Hoster with a smile:

"Have you been with Shireen today, father?"

"Aye", he replies. "I have. She is a sweet child, curious. A shame you will have trouble marrying her", he sighs.

Aylis almost chokes on her food:

"Father, she is just a baby. I have time to think about that."

"I know, but she has greyscale. This is going to discourage a lot of Lords, believe me", Hoster stares at her.

Hurt, Aylis looks at her plate and feels her appetite vanishing.

"I do hope her husband will be interested in who she is, and not that she has greyscale…"

Lysa eats silently, observing them, and Aylis looks at her sister for support, but Lysa does not say anything. Hoster bursts out laughing:

"Aylis… Dear Aylis, when will you understand you got lucky with Lord Stannis? And lucky… I may choose the bad words."

He stares at her and says again:

"He may love you now, but he did not want to marry you, Aylis. You wanted him, and you have been lucky enough that Robert proposed to me that you would marry his younger brother. In our marriages, at least one of the spouses is unhappy with the decision. But we obey, because we respect our fathers, and because the family is important for us. We have the duty of making the family survive and we swear on our honor to respect our vows. Family, duty, honor. Our words have not been chosen by accident. Our ancestors have thought about them, about what they meant. Your husband will choose a husband for your daughter, if he finds one, and she will marry him without arguing. I intend you to raise her this way."

With that, he swallows a big piece of meat and remains silent. Aylis is shaking with anger and humiliation, and she feels the baby kicking her violently. She wants to say something; she wants to protest, but why? Her father is right. Stannis has never wanted to marry her. He treats her well, but she does not even know if he loves her. She glances at Lysa, sipping quietly her cup of water. Which support could she expect from a woman who clearly not love her husband, not matter how nice he is to her. Sometimes, she pities him, sometimes, she understands. Love cannot be controlled. Acts can, however. And Lysa has always acted well towards Jon, accepting that, if their baby is a boy, she would call him Robert, as a tribute to Stannis's brother. Aylis, her, has secretly chosen two names for her baby. She stares back at her plate, and slowly eats. No words are spoken until the end of the dinner, and Aylis leaves quickly when their father dismisses them. She joins her daughter, lies down by the small bed standing by hers, and strokes the smooth hair, breaking down in tears.


	43. Chapter 43

_Riverrun, 292 AC_

Aylis is walking around the room, rocking the baby she is holding in her arms slowly. All smiles, she stares at him, this cute little boy, looking so fragile she is scared of breaking him. The baby is asleep for now, but soon starts wailing and Aylis's breasts painfully ache when he cries.

"Give him to me", she hears her sister saying.

Aylis's lips brush the brow of little Robert Arryn and she walks to her sister, places the baby in the crook of her arms, before sitting down and stroking her huge baby bump, watching her sister breastfeeding her baby. SweetRobin, as her mother has immediately called him, is born a few days ago, when Cressen and Vyman both said Aylis's baby would be born first. Since then, the young lady is waiting. Shireen gets impatient, Stannis does also. Jon Arryn and him have arrived a fortnight before Lysa delivers her son. Lysa and Aylis have been both waiting for their husbands, by their father, and Aylis's heart had jumped in her chest when she has seen Stannis riding to her, on his black horse, and the smile he gave to her made her forget about all the bad things that happened to her since she got here. She had not forgotten, nor forgiven what her father has said and, since this night, their relationship had been cold as ice. Jon and Stannis had often spent time together, even there, and Aylis had often walked on them whispering, their heads turning swiftly at her and the conversation stopping immediately. She had frown at first, and then has forgotten about it: she had more important things to think about. The night Lysa's labour has started; she has thought her own baby would be born on this same night. But the hours passed, and then days and nothing happened. Her baby is active and moves and kicks a lot, but there is no indication that she would deliver soon.

She spends her day with her sister, laying in bed, and her nephew, and joins her husband at night, after the dinner they all shared. Stannis is already lying in bed when she gets in, and she stares at him, before slowly sliding the straps of her dress off her shoulders. She stands naked in front of him, stepping aside her dress, pushing it away with her foot. Stannis stares at her, his thumb rubbing his index. He has this weird quirk for years now, and he often does it when he is nervous, or…impatient. Aylis smiles at him and joins him, straddles him. His hands immediately grab her thighs, and then her hips, stroking the imposing bump gently. He even pats it, clumsily:

"You are late, little Lord…"

Aylis laughs happily, her own hands running on Stannis's chest.

"I know a way to hurry him out", she whispers, leaning over so her nipples brush her husband's sweet lips. She yelps when his wet and warm tongue twirls around the hard nipples, drawing the shape of her areolas, and then rubbing the pointed nipple with the tip of his tongue. Aylis has given him a liking in sex he never thought he could have. He loves it as much as Robert does, but it's because he does it with Aylis. He thinks that, if he had any other wife, he would have not enjoyed it at all. His wife brutally moves the sheets away and grinds against his member, whimpering with pleasure as he kisses, licks and sucks her swollen breasts. His strong hands grab her butt and accompany the movements of her hips. Aylis smirks as she feels his shaft getting all hard and big against her slit. She suddenly sits up, escaping the strokes of his lips, and she guides his cock in her, moaning as it pierces her with pleasure. Stannis raises his hands to stroke her face but she grabs his wrists, pins his hands and arms above his head. She leans over him, kisses him, and starts moving roughly on him. "Husband", she whispers in his ear, licking and sucking his neck. "My dear…dear man…" she soughs, the sweetness of her voice contrasting violently with the hardness of her hips. She keeps holding Stannis's wrists and raises a bit, changing the angle of their bodies, and Stannis yelps as he feels he gets even deeper. Aylis moans, almost yells with pleasure. "Let me touch you", Stannis beseeches her, frustrated at the idea of having her skin so close from him and not being able to stroke her. Aylis smirks and leans over him, offering her breasts to him. "Touch me, then, husband", she says, speeding up the rhythm again, crying out as his mouth devours her breasts. They are so sensitive she needs only a few minutes of his ministration to be overwhelmed by a violent climax. Stannis feels her contracting so hard around him he almost comes too, but, instead, he manages to free himself and slips under her, her body shaking again with pleasure, and he gets on his knees behind her, spreads her ass cheeks and dives his face to make her come with his tongue. She cries again, half with ecstasy, half with pain because of how sensitive she is, but soon, her eyes roll over in pleasure, and her hand comes grab his hair. She moans his name, she moans "my Lord", as his tongue licks, his lips sucks, his fingers stroke her intimate parts. Stannis runs his hands to her breasts, and palms the nipples gently, stroking them, slightly pinching them. His soft tongue rubs her clitoris, faster and faster and she soon comes again, pulling on his hair violently. He moves away, groans with excitation, and places her hands on the headboard of the bed. Aylis notices black hair taken between her fingers and she smiles before yelling when he thrusts in her suddenly. He immediately clenches his hands on her shoulders, his fingers squeezing the delicate skin. She would have marks tomorrow mornings, but why should she care now? She can hear the belly slapping against her butt, how his sex is deep and rough in her, how he hits or rub a special point inside of her that gets her closer from a third climax each time his hips move. She hears his hoarse voice, his pants, his moans, calling her. She closes her eyes, letting her feelings escaping among loud moans, not willing to restrain her, even though she knows her sister and even her father could be hearing her now. Stannis is soon thrusting in her as fast as he can, her cries are endless, the slapping of their two bodies deafening. She feels how close she is, she feels her climax building up and she smiles huge. Stannis groans as he feels a spot in her swollening, her inner walls contracting against him, and he comes in her, spilling his semen in long and ecstatic jets. She grabs his wrists when she comes in turn, raising suddenly, her body jolting and trembling and Stannis wraps his arms around her, holding her close, trying to stop the burning and salty sweat from getting in his eyes. He closes them, resting his brow against her hair, panting hard. Aylis whimpers again, and slowly collapses on the bed, causing him to pull out of her. He notices his sperm flooding out of her, and he smiles a bit, before lying by her, turning his face to her beautiful one.

"That was not very careful", he notices, between two pants.

Aylis comes to him and snuggles up against him, stroking his chest and his belly.

"I don't care", she shrugs. "I love making love to you way too much to care about this. The baby is fine, don't worry", she kisses his lips and he strokes her sweaty skin.

He kisses back and orders:

"Sleep, now", before placing the sheet on her, as well as the blanket.

Aylis does not protest, and closes her eyes, falling asleep almost immediately.

Her waters break the following morning, as she is having a stroll in the garden. She is with Shireen, Cressen and Stannis, and they both help her joining the castle, leading her to her room, Shireen trying to catch up with them and crying, terrified by what is going on. Stannis picks her up and gives her to Hoster, before joining Aylis. The delivery is quick and it is almost lunch time when Cressen takes out a yelling baby, pink and big. Stannis proudly cuts the cord, and Cressen, his eyes filled with tears again, just like for Shireen, tells them they have a healthy boy. Aylis cries with emotion, and Cressen gives her the baby, immediately grabbing her nipple between his lips and drinking eagerly. Stannis and Cressen exchange a look and, for a moment, Aylis thinks they are going to hug each other, but they don't, and Stannis just shakes Cressen's hand, but the way he squeezes it, the look they exchange for a long moment, says it all. Thank you for caring for my wife. Thank you for making me so proud of you every day. This is what these simple gestures mean. As he washes and wipes his hands, Cressen turns to the young couple, Stannis sitting by his wife's side and staring at his newborn.

"How will you call this baby?" he asks.

Aylis grins huge:

"I want to call him Aistan", she turns to Stannis. "If you agree of course."

He smiles:

"I like this name a lot."

Aylis nods and strokes his cheek, then the baby's head. She feels Stannis look as she keeps feeding the newborn:

"What is it?..."

Cressen leaves and Stannis kisses her brow lengthily:

"I am so proud of you, Aylis. So proud..."

These words bring tears in her eyes and she turns to him with a trembling smile:

"I love you and I am proud to be your wife. And giving you a son is the biggest pride of my life."

He stares at her, strokes her hair and whispers in a kiss:

"And I love you too..."

A few hours later, when both baby and mother have rested, Shireen gets in the room shyly with Stannis. She stares at this strange pink thing fidgeting in her mother's arms. She walks to him and he wraps his fingers around her index. Shireen turns to Stannis and smiles, and Aylis closes her eyes, filled with happiness. She has the perfect family she has dreamt about for years.


	44. Chapter 44

_King's Landing, 293 AC_

Robert and Aylis ride out of the Red Keep, towards the forest surrounding the capital. The King has invited her for a hunt, and she has accepted gladly, happy to be, for a few hours at least, far from the cries and the constant attention seeking her children give her. She knows this is totally normal, but she needs to breathe a bit, to be on her own, or so. She smiles gratefully at Robert, who smiles back huge at her.

"So, how is my favorite nephew?" he asks as their horses lead them slowly.

Aylis chuckles:

"He's the only one you have… for now…"

Robert turns his face at her:

"Are you with child once more?" he asks, astonished.

She laughs:

"No, but I know Stannis and I will have more children. Well, to answer your question, your nephew is very fine. He almost runs already, and he is barely one year old. How can he be that strong…" she smiles tenderly thinking about her only son.

They had come back from Riverrun, welcomed by a drunken Robert who had roared with joy so loudly when he had known Aistan was a boy he had woken the baby up. The King had taken him in his arms and has raised him high in the sky. Aylis would never forget the look on Cersei's face. The King has immediately loved Aistan, more than Shireen, more than his own children. Why? Aylis could not say, at least at the beginning. But then, with weeks, she has understood: Aistan reminds Robert of himself. He has been a big baby from the very beginning, suckling on Aylis's tits all day long or so. She has not minded, she was a lady, and everything was made to serve her. When he was one month old, he weighed as such as a four months old baby. And now, at one, he was almost as big as his sister, who was two years older. Robert often says with a smile the baby will be a giant, and teases Stannis asking if he is sure he is the father. Aylis has learnt how to ignore Robert's incessant taunting of Stannis. Stannis, him, is not as forgiving towards his brother and often scowls at him. Aylis knows how much he aches when he sees his son laughing with his uncle, and almost crying when his mother tries to give him to his father. She keeps reassuring him, telling Aistan loves him, but she knows he doubts it. He does not doubt his paternity, though: the boy is strong and big, with long black hair covering her ears and half of his face, running to his shoulders. And his eyes…. Blue as the sea, sparkling with joy all the time, and two adorable dimples showing every time he is smiling. The loud laugh of Robert takes her out of her thoughts:

"He is a Baratheon, sweet sister. It cannot be otherwise!"

She smiles and focuses on the road, hearing the cries of Fury flying upon them. They have reached the forest now, and are riding among the tall trees, Ser Barristan Selmy riding behind them. Robert likes to show how strong he is for hunting, but Aylis has asked that he would not take the whole court with him. She wanted a moment on her own, and she has always loved Barristan, despite the fact he was fighting her husband during the War. She is hoping he would go on serving the Baratheons, after Robert's death. The King looks up to watch her falcon:

"It has been a while since I have not hunted with falcons", he says quietly.

"You know you can take Fury whenever you want, your Grace", she nods at him.

"I know, but I prefer killing the animal myself. And I have a thing for boars", he laughs, before getting down from his horse. "Stay here, sister. I don't want you to be a cripple. My brother would kill me for that", he finishes his sentence with a laugh, grabs a spear and walks away with Barristan. Aylis lets her horse eat, listening carefully to the sounds of the forest. Robert does not talk anymore, and the forest is silent suddenly. She looks up to see if she can see Fury, but the bird has disappeared. She closes her eyes, enjoying this welcoming silence, the wind in the leaves of the trees, the soft sound of her horse cutting and eating the grass. She could almost fall asleep, there, sit on her horse, but a sudden grunt makes her open her eyes, and her horse turns its head to the sound. She hears a whimper, and Barristan's voice congratulating the King. They come back a few minutes later, Barristan holding the boar they just have killed. A beautiful beast, she thinks as Barristan places it on the King's horse.

"Congratulations, your Grace", she smiles. "Nice catch."

"Thank you, Lady Aylis!" He gets back on his horse with difficulties and Barristan eyes him, to check if he will be okay. Aylis looks away, sad to see her brother in law like this. When he sits down, he is all red and out of breath.

"Some wine would do me good, Ser Barristan!"

The kingsguard gets closer and hands him a wineskin. Robert downs it and notices Aylis's look upon him:

"Let's go back", he orders, and they ride back to the castle. "And don't look at me like that", he groans at Aylis. She gives him an inquiring look:

"As if you pity me", he explains.

Aylis reddens with shame and stammers:

"I… I am sorry, your grace… I didn't…"

"Stop it", he groans louder and glares at her. "I have good reasons to drink."

"I do not doubt this, your Grace. I am sorry if I have offended you."

For a moment he keeps glaring at her, and he raises his hand to her, before awkwardly tapping her hand:

"Forget this, Aylis."

She cannot help but sighing with relief, and they keep riding in silence. Once they get to the red Keep, she notices Fury has come back to the aviary on her own, and has a large rabbit by her. Aylis cuddles her and grabs the rabbit, goes with Barristan to give the two beasts to the cooks. Then she quickly runs back to her son, feeling milk starting to drip off her breasts. When he sees her, he squeals with joy, and immediately walks to her, gets on her lap and hungrily pulls on her dress to bare her breasts. He suckles greedily, and Aylis cannot help but chuckling. Shireen walks to them, shyly. Aylis does not know how Aistan will grow up to be, but it is already clear that there will be huge differences between him and his sister. She is as quiet as he is loud, as frail as he is strong. But she cares a lot for him, and loves him with all her heart. She sits down by them and watches her brother drinking milk, stroking his back gently. Aylis stays with them during the afternoon and, as Shireen goes to have dinner with her cousins, she puts Aistan to bed, and gets ready for dinner with the King and the Queen. She realizes she has not seen Stannis since the morning, and is eager to know how his day has been. But when he gets in the room where they all eat, he looks clearly angry. He does not look at her, sits down by her side though, and does not say a word as they eat. He is the first one to leave, and Robert gives Aylis an inquiring look. She shrugs, not knowing what is wrong, and finishes eating before joining her husband in their chambers. He is shirtless; her clothes carefully put on a chair, and is watching Aistan sleeping. As Aylis is still breastfeeding him, she has asked that he stays with them, and Stannis has agreed, not without trouble. Aylis smiles softly as she watches them and silently hugs Stannis from behind. She lays a kiss on his shoulder, but he recoils pretty brutally, leaves to the bed, undresses and lies there on a side. She gives him an astonishing look, and joins him once she got rid off her clothes. He does not look at her, turns his back at her. She places a hand on his shoulder, and he moves it away.

"What is it, husband?" she asks as softly as she can.

He mumbles something that she cannot hear. She gets closer from him and he moves away:

"Leave me alone!" he spats.

She recoils, not scared but surprised.

"Have I done something to make you angry?" she asks him, sitting up by his side.

If he thinks she will let him talk to her this way, he really does not know her.

"I am tired", he mumbles, but clearly this time. "I don't think you are, seeing the activities of your day. I hope you enjoyed your time with my brother."

She stares at him, confused, not knowing what he means, not knowing what he is talking about. She grabs his shoulder and makes him look at her:

"What are you talking about? Do you not think I care for our children?!"

"I think you enjoy the company of their uncle more than theirs", he spats again, nastily.

She hesitates between crying because of how rude he is, and slapping him. Instead, she brusts out laughing nervously:

"Are… Are you jealous? Of Robert?"

She keeps laughing, finding the idea so ridiculous she is sure she is wrong. But Stannis glares at her, his eyes dark with anger and disappointment. Aylis's laugh vanishes right away:

"By the Seven, Stannis, I love you! How… Do you think I have an affair with your own brother? Do you trust me so little?" she asks, hurt like seldom.

He looks embarrassed, and his look shifts slightly:

"I know how he is with women…"

"He loves me like a sister, Stannis. Just like I love him like a brother, like a friend."

She cups his face and keeps protesting:

"You are the only man I ever wanted, the only one I ever gave myself too. I hope you trust me when I say that!"

He looks at her but moves away again:

"This is not you I distrust, but him. Cersei does not make him happy, and he looks for happiness in sex, and drink. Who knows what he would be able to do one day he is so drunk?"

"I would never let him touch me this way", she firmly asserts.

"Who says he would ask your advice?" he asks again, staring at her.

Her hands grab the sheets tight:

"You really think your brother could rape me?"

There is an awkward silence, broken by a loud sigh of Aistan in his sleep and Stannis's voice, sharp as a knife:

"Yes."

Aylis gapes, not believing it. But Stannis is no man of jokes, and his clenched jaw makes her think he is very serious:

"Why do you hate him so much?" she genuinely asks.

Even if she is not as close from her siblings as she used to, she still loves them with all her heart and would never think her brother able to do this. Their father would kill him anyways, and Edmure has any girl he wants, and has probably already a few bastards of his own.

"I do not hate him. I just know his qualities and his flaws", Stannis slowly replies, rubbing his face. "Now, I am really tired. Good night, wife."

He lies back on a side, turning his back at her, and she lies by him, not touching him, while craving for it. He has fallen asleep since long when she is still staring at his back, getting her hand close but not daring touching him, and tracing invisible strokes on him.


	45. Chapter 45

_King's Landing, 294 AC_

Aylis wakes up with the sound of a knock on the door and groans with discontent. Robert has decided to organize a tourney in the capital, and she needs to get up early to get ready to watch it. She knows Stannis is going to be very moody all day long but she needs to support him. Robert has wanted to participate in the Tourney, but his advisors warned him not to. Aylis stands up when the servants come in and lets them dress her up. Half asleep, she does not react to their gestures. Stannis gets in their room: he has woken up early in the morning, as usual, and has wished to let her sleep as much as she needed. He smiles slightly at her, holding Shireen and Aistan by the hands. She looks at them with a smile:

"Hello children" and they rush to her. Aistan is as big as Shireen now, she notices with emotion, and she kisses his head gently.

"I need to talk to you", Stannis announces, and the servants soon leave, taking the children with them.

"Nothing bad?" she inquires worried.

He pours a cup of water and turns to her:

"I have talked with Lord Tywin and he has agreed to foster Aistan, when he will be old enough, of course, in Casterly Rock."

Aylis stares at him, her mouth dropping with surprise:

"He is two, Stannis."

"And he will be Lord of Dragonstone, one day. Being fostered by Tywin Lannister is a unique chance for him", he insists. "He will teach him a lot of things; he is used to rule over a kingdom and a land."

Aylis shakes her head: Stannis already sees him as a young Lord, when he is just a baby. Her baby. She stands bravely in front of him:

"I refuse", she asserts.

Stannis scowls at her:

"I am not asking your opinion. I have decided to be this way, and it will be this way."

"He is my son", she starts shaking and her voice trembles. "I think I have my word to say about the way he will be raised."

"You are his mother, it is true. I am his father. I decide if, where and whom he will be fostered by", Stannis calmly but firmly says.

She cannot stop tears from running down on her cheeks now, and she goes to him, grabs his clothes, knowing he will hate this but unable to restrain herself:

"Please… don't send him here… If you want him to be fostered, send him to Winterfell, or to the Eyrie, send him to my family, or to yours! Send him to Renly!"

He pushes her off, a bit brutally:

"He needs to learn from the best, and Lord Tywin is a better ruler than Lord Stark, or your sister, or my brother. Renly does not care about his duties; he only does what pleases him, and forgets about the rest! Now, I have enough of your whining. Aistan will leave to Casterly Rock on his seventh name day, and nothing you could do will change this."

She is surprised by his "violence", and looks at him, still crying:

"Why are you so cruel? Why… Why do you always have to push me away, as if I did not mean anything to you?"

He stares at her, and grabs a handkerchief, places it in her hand:

"Dry your tears and smile. People are waiting for us."

With these words, he walks out, and Aylis cries a bit more before following him. She knows, deep inside her, he is right, that it will be good that Aistan would be fostered by a great Lord of a great house, but why thinking about it so soon? To her, it almost sounds as if he wanted to get rid of him. She tries to understand why, but Stannis would never confide in her, she knows it very well. Does he fear Aistan is not his son? Does he think she has cheated on him with Robert? She could not know. As she walks behind him, the children hold their hands, and, for a moment, Stannis and her looks at each other, a real loving look. Her husband opens his mouth, and she almost thinks he is going to apologize for his rudeness, but he stares back at the path and they keep walking silently. As they reach their seats to watch the tourney, Aylis notices Tywin Lannister is here. His son is going to participate, and he probably came to watch him. He nods and smiles when he sees her, and she stands up and walks to him. She curtseys in front of him:

"Lord Tywin", she greets him.

"Lady Aylis", he bows. "How are you doing?"

"I am good, my Lord, thank you. When did you arrive in the Capital?" she asks, staring at him.

He is impressive, he has always been. She has rarely seen him, but she respects him a lot. Still, she remembers the story of Elia Martell and her children, and she cannot forget who is rumored to have given the order of killing them. This is what Tywin achieves the best, she thinks: to be feared and respected, so no one would dare attack him. He gives her a warm smile, but she knows it is fake.

"Last night only."

Her heart skips a beat: if he arrived last night, it means Stannis has talked to him only this morning. So he has thought about the fosterling a while ago. As if he is reading in her mind, Tywin smiles again:

"I have seen your husband this morning. I am eager to foster your sweet child."

He says that in a way that sends electric shocks all along her spine, and she swallows hard, feeling nauseous suddenly. She stares at him, wants to say something, wants to threaten him that if he does anything to her son, she will kill him herself, but it would be folly. He frowns silently, on the contrary:

"Are you alright, my Lady? You are very pale."

She fakes a smile:

"I am fine. I just did not have time to eat this morning."

He slips his arm under hers, and walks her back to Stannis. He stands up when he sees them:

"Lord Stannis, you should not let your wife starve. Poor thing almost fainted."

Tywin Lannister reprimanding Stannis Baratheon as if he was a little boy. Aylis would cry laughing if she was not about to throw up on the two men standing by her side. Stannis holds her firmly and helps her sitting down:

"Thank you, Lord Tywin. I will make her eat right now."

He grabs a piece of bread and hands it to Aylis. She watches Tywin walking away and sitting down by his grandchildren. She sees Shireen walking to them and playing with little Tommen, the sweetest of the Queen's children. Joffrey, the eldest one, stares at them with a disgusted pout, and Aylis wonder if it is because of Shireen's grayscale, or the fact that Tommen is holding a doll in his hands. Myrcella is chatting with her servants, and does not care about Shireen, because she is not as beautiful as her. Aylis feels suddenly weirdly jealous, jealous that the Queen's children are so perfect, so handsome and blond, their eyes shining and piercing. She tries to chase those bad thoughts and Stannis commands her to eat. She chews on bread, still watching at her daughter, now standing and talking with Lord Tywin. He raises his hand to touch her stained cheek, and Shireen looks down shyly, her hands nervously fidgeting behind her back so he does not notice. Exactly like her father. A man announces the start of the tourney, and the King gives the signal. Aylis calls at Shireen and she waves at her cousin before joining her seat between her parents. Tywin stares at the Baratheons, and half smiles before watching his son jousting.


	46. Chapter 46

_Dragonstone, 295 AC_

The soft sound of the waves licking the cliff has put her to sleep earlier this night, but the cold wind on his back wakes him up suddenly. Stannis opens his eyes, and watches his wife by his side, fast asleep, before carefully leaving the bed and going to close the window. He pours a cup of water and drinks it silently, staring at the body of Aylis lying by the empty spot where he was a few seconds ago. He turns to the sea, watches it, a hand leaning on the stones of the wall. He has an awful nightmare and does not wish to go back to bed right now.

Aylis moves in her sleep and lays her arm on Stannis, waking up when she realizes he is not by her side anymore. The sheets under his spot are already cold and she sits up, curious and tired. She looks around and sees him in front of the window, staring at the sea. She cannot help smile. How handsome he is, standing there, the moon creating a beautiful hollow around him, his broad shoulders cutting the frame of the window, his muscles visible though his skin. A deliciously painful knot makes her swallows hard and she stands up, walks to him and kisses his shoulder. He turns his face to her:

"Did I wake you up?"

She shakes her head and leans against him tired:

"Why are you not asleep?" she mumbles.

"I had a bad dream…" he whispers, his arm wrapping around her. He places the cup by the bed and his free hand runs on her belly.

"How are they?" he asks with a smile.

They had been cold to each other after the tourney but, well, their bodies had needs and Aylis has been pregnant. She has been very happy of course, and the pregnancy helped them getting close again. When Maester Cressen had told them she was expecting twins, she has thought she was going to faint. She hasn't known if she could deal with two newborns, but, well, what choice had she? Today, she is in her last month, and feels as heavy as if she was a cow. She lays her hand on his:

"They are great", she whispers smiling. "What was your dream about?" she asks shyly.

"My parents…" he answers. "I saw them drown again… I was swimming to them, and they were holding their hands at me, but I could never reach them… I was trying, again and again but…"

He does not finish his sentence, and Aylis wraps her arms around him and hugs him tightly.

"It was just a dream, my love… Just a dream…"

He does not hug back and blankly says, and Aylis does not really know if he is talking to her or to himself.

"I often wonder what they would have thought of you… If they have liked you, if they have liked the children… Would I be different if they had not die, would Robert be, would Renly be?..."

It hurts her so much to see him like that, so lost and confused, and she strokes his hair:

"You are perfect the way you are, Stannis… You are a good man, a good husband, a good father… We all love you so much, you cannot imagine. Me, Shireen, Aistan, Cressen… the two babies fidgeting in my belly. We love you more than anyone else in the world."

For a second, he stares at the sea, and she is not even sure he has heard her. But, he ends up turning to her and takes her lips in a passionate kiss. Aylis kisses back happily, and smiles when he leans his brow in the crook of her neck. She leads him to bed, and he lies against her, smelling her neck, his hands lying on her belly and stroking the two little babies rolling over under his hand. Still, he cannot find comfort, and the smile which curls his lips is a sad one. Sad for all these years lost, all these conflicts with his brothers, all these years spent fighting or starving in Storm's End. He would like to trust the future, to be confident that his life will be happy with Aylis and the children, but he feels a terrible anguish on the contrary. Robert is not immortal, and certainly not with the lifestyle he has. And Joffrey… He swallows hard thinking about him. Joffrey cannot rule. Joffrey must not rule. His thought wander to Lord Arryn, and he remembers the days spent in the capital, looking for Robert's bastards, and the accusation he has made when he first saw Joffrey, an accusation which now turns to be more and more plausible. And he perfectly knows what it means if Joffrey is declared illegitimate. He will have to find Robert a new wife, so he could at least have children of his own. The next years do not promise to be calm. He hears himself sighing wearily and he notices Aylis's eyes staring at him. He reddens with shame, and pecks her lips quickly. He wishes her a good night and slowly drifts off to sleep. Aylis strokes his hair gently, trying to comfort him, thinking that her touch could give him happy and sweet dreams, and not terrible nightmares that keep him awake at nights. She feels her babies moving and kicking and she groans slightly, wishing she could sleep but it is gonna be difficult with those two. Cressen has said they probably were boys, and she has the feeling he is right. They are as active as Aistan and, as much as it was hard to stand it with one baby, two little balls bouncing in her uterus are almost unbearable. She strokes her belly, trying to calm them down, and they do, after a while. Tomorrow, they will have to visit the small folks of Dragonstone and she needs to be fully rested to be able to follow her husband's rhythm.


	47. Chapter 47

_Dragonstone, 295 AC_

An exhausted smile on her face, Aylis watches happily her father walking around the room, holding his two new grandsons in his arms. His eyes meet hers and his lips smile hugely at her, before walking close to her. She had given birth the night before, two big babies shouting loud. Hoster had joined them in Dragonstone to be here for the birth, but he has stayed outside of the room, when Stannis was comforting and encouraging his wife. Now, Lord Tully hands his youngest daughter her newborn, claiming for milk. She hides slightly to breastfeed. Hoster does not look shocked, on the contrary, and he smiles stroking his daughter's hair. She takes his hand and kisses it lengthily:

"Catelyn will be so happy when she will know…"she whispers watching her child suckling.

Hoster nods approving:

"It is good that cousins are so close."

They had heard about Rickon's birth a few days only before the birth of the twins. Another son for Catelyn, named after his grandfather Rickard. Aylis had immediately sent a letter congratulating them.

"Have you chosen their names?" Hoster asks again, while Aylis pats her baby's back softly.

She nods smiling:

"Doryos and Oswyn."

Hoster frowns a bit and she explains:

"Stannis has always said he wanted his children to have their own names. But I always want to celebrate someone I love when I choose the names. I liked Shireen because it started like Stannis's name. Aistan is a mix of our two names. I have chosen Doryos for Ser Davos, and Oswyn for Orys Baratheon."

"I am sure Ser Davos will feel honoured" he smiles.

She nods silently, and stands up to place the babies in their cribs. Hoster leans over them and stares at them:

"How black is their hair already", he admires in a whisper. Aylis cannot help smiling proudly:

"Shireen and Aistan were the same. Do you know how is Rickon?"

Hoster smiles proudly in turn:

"Rickon is a real Tully, as Robb, Bran and Sansa are."

Aylis swallows hard, feeling this is a hidden reproach, as none of her children look like Tullys. Hoster notices the sadness in her look and adds:

"I guess the Baratheon's seed is stronger than the Stark's one…"

He is now too old to quarrel with his children, and does not want to hurt Aylis more than he already did when she was a child. He looks at her, smiling as she looks up at him, her eyes shining with happiness, and the resemblance with her mother strikes him again, hard in the guts, both painful and sweet. Hoster loves his children, with all his heart, and each one of them has a special place in his heart. But Aylis has always been different from her siblings. And when he looks at her face, her eyes, her cheekones, her lips, her nose, he sees Minisa, he sees all of Minisa in her. Feeling tears coming to his eyes, he looks away quickly, and stares at the room they are in.

"Are you happy here, Aylis?" he asks softly, placing his hand on hers.

"I am very happy, Father…"

"This is way different from Riverrun", he notices, not willing to hurt her. The castle is grim and damp, and, even if it is south, it is colder than in Riverrun.

"I hate the castle", Aylis shrugs. "But I am with Stannis, and I could not be happier."

"When do you intend to join King's Landing again?" he asks, looking at her at least.

"Very soon, as soon as I feel up to travel", she nods smiling.

He bends down on her to kiss her brow:

"I am happy that you are happy, daughter."

"You would have not bet a single coin on us, right, Father?" she asks without nastiness, just an observation.

Hoster knows it is useless to lie and he nods slightly:

"This is true. I never thought you would be that happy with him. But he treats you well, and this is the only thing I was asking for when I agreed on this marriage. I like your husband. He is strong and is obviously very much in love with you."

Aylis' cheeks fluster red and she bites her lower lip to not smile hugely. She knows Stannis loves him but it always feel weird when someone else acknowledges it. She reacts the same when she catches some of Cressen or Davos's looks upon them.

"He is the best man I could ever dream of", she ends up saying, softly.

Just as she finishes her sentence, a knock on the door rings out and Stannis walks in. He bows in front of Hoster:

"My Lord…"

Hoster bows back, greeting him as well, and turns to Aylis:

"I should go now. I will see you later"

She nods and he places a kiss on her hair, before stroking the twins's hands gently. He leaves silently, Stannis walking to Aylis and taking her hand in his. Hoster closes the door behind him with a smile, and joins the room he has been granted to. He needs to get back to Riverrun soon, even if he wishes he could have spent more time with his daughter and his grand children. As when Aylis has come to Riverrun to give birth to Aistan, Shireen is following her grandfather everywhere, and he feels ill at ease with the little girl. He tries to hide it the best he can, and feels very bad about it, but he tries to spend more time with Aistan, a strong child as big as his sister, though two years younger than her. He wonders if the newborns will be as impressive as their brother, but he does not doubt it. Shireen has been strong enough to fight greyscale when she was just an infant, and her fragility is only apparent, he knows it. Despite greyscale, she has never been sick. She is small, and puny, but this is because of her illness. If she had been sane, she would have probably been tall and strong, just like her brother. As he gets in his room, she is here, and jumps on her feet to hug him tight, and he cannot help smiling as his arms embrace her.


	48. Chapter 48

_Riverrun, 296 AC_

Since Hoster's last visit, Aylis has felt an urge need to go back to Riverrun. She managed to convince Lysa and Catelyn to all gather there. Stannis has approved this, and has looked weirdly relived to see her gone for a while. Aylis has not understood, but the mood in King's Landing has been more awful than ever: Jon and Stannis has kept being together, sometimes Aylis has not seen her husband in days. And when he has been coming back, he has been cold and grim, and has refused to tell her about anything those two have been doing. One thing leading to another, this travel to Riverrun has been one of the best decisions she has ever taken. She is impatient to see Catelyn again, and she wonders if she has changed. Last time she has seen her, she was getting married to Stannis, eight years ago. Lysa is moody during the whole trip, and her child, Robert, is whining almost all the time. Aylis is almost laughing when she sees the looks her own children give to their cousin. Robert is very small and stunted, and the difference is striking with Aistan, as they have been born on the same day or so. The two cousins, growing up in King's Landing, have always been close to each other, though you could not find two more different children. Somehow, Aylis, looking at them, has the feeling of looking at Robert and Ned. Ned has never been weak, but their differences were stunning when it comes to mind. Exactly like Robert and Aistan. Sweetrobin loves dolls, is whiny, always sticking to his mother. Aistan has already started to learn how to fight, indeed as soon as he has known how to stand on his feet; he has grabbed a wooden sword. The King has always loved this in his nephew. Aylis knows this is because he is more a son to him than Joffrey and Tommen. And, surprising everyone around them, Aistan and Sweetrobin have known how to appreciate each others. When Aistan would go train, Robert would play dolls with Shireen, even though his mother does not like that he is so close from a greyscaled child. Mostly, the two boys would meet to talk and laugh, or to watch throughout the beautiful books of the library of the red Keep, or go to the Sept and talk with the Septon. Aistan seems interested in religion, which displeases his father, but, as you would see the two boys praying together, you would never guess they are the same age. Aistan is a full head taller than Robert, and his shoulders are broad, when Robert's ones are dangling. There is only one thing that truly shock Aistan when it comes to his friend: it is when he sees him breastfed by his mother. In Westeros, some ladies breastfeed, some ask for a wet nurse. But most of them stop breastfeeding after three years, when Robert suckles as much as an infant, while he is four now. There, Lysa is breastfeeding him in front of everyone and they all look away, embarrassed. The two sisters don't exchange most words: they have stopped being close, a while ago, and Aylis has stopped trying, after a moment, to get back to Lysa. She is relieved to see the Riverrun castle getting closer and closer with each of the horses' strides. She notices a man on the stairs, waiting for them, but is surprised to see it is not their father. It is Edmure. As they get out from the carriages, Aylis holding the twins in her arms, she rushes to him:

"Where is Father?!"

Hoster has seemed very happy to have them altogether and she is very surprised that he is not here to welcome them. Edmure hugs her tight:

"Sweet sister… Father is bedridden."

She gasps loudly and the twins start to cry. She rocks them gently and sees Edmure taking one of them in his arms. He lays a sweet look upon them, and Aylis should love this, but all she thinks about right now is her father.

"Where is Cat?" she asks a bit brutally.

"She is with him", he nods at her.

Aylis rushes inside, not even asking Lysa if she is willing to go with her. She reaches the bedroom of her father and gets in without even knocking: Cat is here, a book in her hands, reading to her father, and they turn to her with the same movement. She stares at Catelyn, her dear sister, whom she has not seen in eight years. She has not changed, but maternity gave her both a softer and wilder look in her eyes. Cat stands up, and goes hug her sister. Aylis closes her eyes when her smell overwhelms her nostrils: _she smells like home_ , she thinks and tears come to her eyes. Their hug last long, and Catelyn is the one breaking it, turning to Hoster, who stares at them with a smile.

"My daughters", he whispers and they both sit by his side. "Have you taken the children with you, Aylis?" he asks again.

She takes his hand and squeezes it tightly:

"I have, father."

"And have you seen Robb, Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon?" he asks again.

She shakes her head:

"Not yet."

"Go see them, Aylis. Don't waste your time with me. I will see you later, go, go", he waves her out, sitting up the best he can in his bed, and Catelyn leads her outside after a smile to their father. Once she has closed the wooden door, Aylis asks her:

"Is he dying?"

Catelyn looks at her:

"He is old…"

She knows it is true, but she cannot help being deeply shocked. Unable to answer whatsoever, she follows Catelyn, until the Great Hall, where all the children are reunited, Robert holding his doll tightly against his chest. Robb is the first one to look at them, and he runs to his aunt, hugging her tightly:

"Aunt Aylis!" he greets her with a smile.

"Oh, by the Seven, is it you? Robb?" she gasps, astonished.

"This is me!" he laughs and Aylis stares at him. The same thick auburn hair, the same beautiful eyes but eight years have turned him from a sweet little boy to a man-to-be. He has celebrated his thirteenth name day on this year, and he is already a very handsome young lad. The young girls in Winterfell are probably all falling for him. He gives his aunt a charming smile, and turns to his siblings:

"Sansa, Arya, Bran and Rickon", he points at each of them. Aylis motions her own children to join her:

"And this is Shireen, Aistan, Doryos and Oswyn, the twins."

Shireen curtseys respectfully, but Bran grabs her hand and leads her out immediately, followed by Aistan.

"Where are you going?" Aylis shouts at them.

"PLAY!" they all yell back, and Catelyn chuckles, walking to the window to look at them. Aylis joins her:

"Is it not weird, to see them play just we used to, so long ago?" Catelyn softly says.

"We are not that old. Especially not me", Aylis retorts jokingly, and Catelyn laughs, before turning to Lysa, holding Robert close.

"You do not wish to go play with your cousins?" Catelyn asks the little boy, who shakes her head fast and holds onto Lysa's dress tight, before looking up at her. "Thirsty". Lysa sits down and bares her breast, and he hurriedly suckles it. Catelyn and Aylis exchange a look but, seeing Robert suckles, Rickon and the twins ask for it too, and soon they are, the three sisters, all feeding their children. For a moment, they look softly at each other, sharing this blissful feeling of being mothers. The softness does not last, though. Robb and Sansa leave on their own, Arya joins Bran, Aistan and Shireen. Aylis does not ask Catelyn why she has not taken Jon Snow with her: she knows this is because Jon is not her blood. Although, they start talking about Ned, and Winterfell. Catelyn looks happy with him, and she says how nice he is to her, how sweet and gentle, how a great father he is as well. As she talks about him, Aylis could think she is hearing her own voice, her own words when she describes Stannis. So, she listens, a huge smile locked on her lips, when Lysa remains silent, and leaves the room after a moment. Catelyn almost stands up to follow her, but Aylis stops her:

"What use to it? She is moody, leave her be."

Catelyn sighs:

"Why does she hate us so much?"

Aylis shrugs and smiles again:

"Your children are so beautiful, Cat. Sansa is going to be such a beauty when she is fully grownup", she says admirative. "Well, she looks like you, so nothing weird here…"

Catelyn blushes deep red and chuckles:

"Thank you. Shireen is very beautiful too, and Aistan looks as strong as an ox", she says with a smile, her finger stroking the twins' cheeks.

"He is", Aylis sighs. "You will see how much he eats at dinners…"

"Better that than a child starving himself", Catelyn whispers, and Aylis knows she is talking about Robert. "Is it true that Jon has wanted him to be fostered in Dragonstone by your husband?"

Aylis nods:

"It is, but Lysa refused. She said she did not want him to be far from her."

Catelyn shakes her head slowly and soon, the children come back, muddy and their cheeks red with the cold and their runs, but their eyes shining with happiness. Aylis asks a servant to give them all a bath and they then gather all in the Great hall to eat. Edmure has not taken his father's place as head of the table, and is sitting in his usual spot. This throws Aylis back years ago, when they were eating with their father. Except now, the shouts and the laughs of children are not theirs, but their own children's. Bran, Arya, Shireen and Aistan insist to share their room, and Aylis and Cat accept gladly. They are happy the cousins get along well together and they all wish each other goodnight, as if they were siblings. Robb and Sansa are not cold, on the contrary, but the age gap is wider, so they share their own room together. And, of course, Robert will not leave his mother's bed, as the twins won't with Aylis. When she gets in her old bedroom, her guts knot, and nostalgia overwhelms her. The wooden desk is where she has written her letters for Stannis. The window, where she has looked for a crow bringing news from him to her. The bed, where she has so often dreamt of him. She smiles silently and lies the twins down carefully. Asleep, they immediately cuddle each other and she strokes their black hair silently, observing them, hearing the soft sound of their breathing, like the softest stroke she has ever felt. She lies by them and stares at her little boys, knowing that, soon enough, they will look like Robb, tall and fierce and strong.


	49. Chapter 49

_King's Landing, 297 AC_

Aylis is walking away with huge strides, Stannis walking behind her. Tears running on her cheeks, she wishes she could fly away from him. Although, after a moment, she stops walking, her heart hammering in her chest, and turns to him:

"Why now? Why so soon?"

A few moments earlier, Stannis has told her Aistan would live for Casterly Rock, in a fortnight. Aylis does not understand: she has never been opposed to this, she has ended up thinking it was a great idea indeed, but she thought she would have more time with her son. Usually, fostered children leave home when they are 7. Aistan is only 5. She stares at Stannis, who does not look down, but who does not answer. His behavior angers her even more and she quickly walks to him, punching his chest violently, yelling at him to answer her. Her husband grabs her wrists to calm her down and she bursts into tears. He tries to hug her but she moves away with a raging shout.

"Aistan is not a baby anymore, Aylis. You need to realize that. You need to see him as he is: look at him! He is as tall as children who turned seven on their last name day! He is a better fighter than Robert at the same age! He is growing up, Aylis, and I will not let you keep him with you as your sister does with Jon's poor child!" he almost yells the last words, and Aylis's eyes turn dark with anger, and, her sight blurred with tears, she slaps his face as hard as she can. He does not even stagger under the hit, he remains steady and calm, but she notices blood dripping from his lip. Aylis does not feel sorry, not even a bit. Stannis wipes the blood away and looks at it for some seconds, before going back in the Red Keep. Aylis collapses on a bench and cries her eyes out, whimpering, her arms hugging herself.

"Now, now… What is it? Trouble in paradise?"

She turns her face to the Queen, standing in front of her, a mocking smile on her lips. The last person she wishes to see, but she quickly wipes her tears away, even though she knows harm is done. Cersei has probably been watching the whole scene secretly. She sits by the young lady's side, and takes a handkerchief out of her sleeve, wipes Aylis's face sweetly, to her great surprise. She can't stop herself from shaking when their skins touch each others, and the emerald eyes stare at her.

"This", she nods at the handkerchief as she slides it back in her sleeve, "has wiped many tears caused by the Baratheons."

Aylis holds back a bitter laugh: how can she compare her couple with Aylis's? Stannis truly loves her, when Robert has married Cersei for politics.

"What has he done to you so you are like this?" she takes Aylis's hands in hers, and Aylis perfectly knows it is more to hold her back than to comfort her.

"I do not think you need to ask me, your Grace", Aylis whispers, almost defiantly. "You perfectly know what happened."

The emerald eyes narrow and the queen's mouth twists in an angered pout.

"You were speaking out loud", she says, before getting her face close. "Do you think I want my home to have a Baratheon wandering around, mh? Eating in my plates, sleeping in my sheets, where my brother and I used to sleep?"

 _She is insane_ , Aylis thinks. _Totally insane. What have we done to her that she hates us so?_

Unable to answer, Aylis just stares at her, when she goes on:

"My father is a fool. He says I am stupid, but I am not. Oh, no, I am not. I know what you foresee; I know what you are planning to do…"

Her eyes have a strange glimpse, and Aylis have never felt more scared in her whole life. She knows she is not as strong as the Queen, and she knows it would be useless to pretend she is. Cersei's nails are digging in her skin, and she gasps with pain:

"Your Grace, I swear… I don't know what you are talking about… Please… you're hurting me…"

Cersei keeps staring at her, the same glimpse in her eyes, a mad glimpse, and she suddenly, and brutally lets her go. Her face becomes sweet and smiling again, her eyes laying a nice look on her sister-in-law. For a second, Aylis thinks it is just a dream. But it's not. Cersei stands up, brushes the fabric of her dress and turns to her:

"If you, or your husband, betray me, I will have your sweet little son killed. I will cut him into pieces, and I will send them to you, one by one, finger by finger, eye by eye, organ by organ."

Aylis shivers violently, despite the warmth of the sun on her skin, and Cersei suddenly flashes a warm smile:

"I wish you a good day, my Lady."

With those words, she walks back in, following the same path Stannis has walked. Aylis needs to wait for her legs to stop shaking before coming back in turn. When she gets to their chamber, she sees Stannis talking with Aistan, a hand on his shoulder. The boy is staring at his father's face, and nods often, before forcing himself to smile. Aylis observes silently, knowing that Stannis is telling their son he will leave to Casterly Rock soon. She hides when Aistan leaves, and gets in the chamber once she is sure Stannis is alone. She locks the door behind her. Her husband looks at her:

"Are you calmed down?" he asks her.

She shakes violently, and tries to say as calmly as she can:

"Husband, I beseech you… don't send him here. Please. You can find someone else who would foster him. Lord Stark would be happy, I am sure of that. But, please, for the love of our son, do not send him to the Lannisters."

Stannis sighs and looks at her, standing by their bed:

"You have no right to interfere in my decision", he growls and she interrupts him.

"I am his mother!" she shouts outraged.

"You see the Lannisters as enemies!" he talks loud too before biting his cheek and whispering. "Tywin Lannister is the smartest man I know. He is not perfect, but he will be an asset for our son. I know so. The only thing you see is that Cersei is nasty and Ser Jaime a hypocrite. They are not all the Lannisters!"

"If you really want a Lannister, why not Ser Kevan?" she proposes hopeful.

"Ser Kevan is a household knight, not a Lord. Aistan deserves better, although I acknowledge he would make a great Lord", Stannis nods and Aylis can't help whimpering with despair.

He joins her and hugs her tight, and she does not push him away. She holds onto him tight, as tight as she can and whispers in his ear:

"I have a bad feeling… Please… please listen to me… I…. I feel if you send him here, we will never see him again…"

As an answer, he hugs her tighter.

A fortnight later, Aistan bravely hugs his parents and his siblings before getting on his pony, by Tywin's side, himself riding a huge stallion. The difference strikes Aylis in the guts and, as she holds back her tears to wave him goodbye, she promises herself to never forgive Stannis if something happens to her son. As he disappears after a last smile, Stannis wraps an arm around his wife's shoulders. She brutally recoils, takes her children and gets back in the Red Keep.


	50. Chapter 50

_Winterfell, 297 AC_

Aylis cannot act as before, now her child has been taken away from her by Tywin Lannister. Weeping, she feels so desperate and sad she decides to leave Stannis for a while; time that she remembers how much she loves him. She has tried to forgive him, tried to convince herself Aistan will be happy at Casterly Rock, but this awful feeling that she will never see him again is still deeply fixed in her heart. Stannis does not try to stop her when she announces she will visit her sister in Winterfell: proud, he does not want to beg her to stay, or to forgive him. And why would he? He has not done anything wrong. The gap between the two spouses gets huger with each day and, when Aylis leaves the capital with Shireen, crying her eyes out, and the twins, she feels weirdly relieved.

They reach Winterfell weeks later, and the Starks are here, waiting for them. She almost burst out crying when she sees Catelyn, giving her the softest look ever. She rushes on her, forgetting about the protocol, and honestly not caring about it. Behind them, Jon Snow is staring at the Baratheon family. His eyes stop on Shireen, looking miserable and pale. She looks up at him, and quickly hides her greyscaled cheek with hair, blushing. Lady Stark leads them soon in the castle, to get warm and to rest after such a long journey. Jon stays with Robb and Theon Greyjoy, the young man mocking Shireen openly. Jon glares at him, and Robb calmly asks him to stop mocking his family. Jon does not get how Robb can remain so nice with Theon: the young Greyjoy has been taken away from his family as a hostage, but, as soon as he has arrived in the North, Robb has treated him like a brother, and the two of them has quickly become inseparable. Jon knows Catelyn does not like this friendship: she does not forget what Greyjoys and Iron born are: rapists, murderers, traitors to the King. Jon knows she hates him, but they at least share the same defiance towards Theon. They all turn around when they hear squeals of joy and they see Rickon, Bran and Aylis's twins running out in the yard. Theon pats Robb's shoulder: "Let's have fun with them" and immediately walks after them, groaning like a monster to scare them. The toddlers squeal and run faster, Robb laughs and imitates him. Jon, though, is not in the mood for this and walks away, wandering around Winterfell. As he walks by the godswood, he hears shuffled cries. Frowning, he lays a hand on his sword and walks there slowly. At the weirwood's foot, sitting on the cold snow, Shireen is here, her face hiding in her knees, her dark hair covering entirely her face. Jon winces slightly when he realizes she is crying, but decides to walk away. He walks on a branch, which creaks loudly and Shireen looks up with a scared squeal.

"It's just me…" Jon uncomfortably says.

Shireen quickly wipes her tears away and stands up.

"My Lord", she curtseys politely.

Jon smiles:

"I'm not a Lord, my Lady. I'm a bastard."

She flinches a bit:

"Do not use this word in front of me, please. You are a boy, not a… bastard."

He nods and bows:

"As my Lady commands…"

He looks at her, so frail and small, standing by this huge scary tree. Her cheeks are red with the cold, her eyes red with tears she has cried.

"May I ask why you were sad, my Lady?" he walks to her, stands by her side.

Her lips quaver a bit:

"I miss my father", she whispers, almost ashamed. "And…" she nibbles her lip nervously.

"And?" Jon encourages her to talk.

She shakes her head:

"I don't want to cause trouble. We are your guests."

"You are Lord and Lady Stark's guests. Speak freely. I will not repeat any words", he looks at her and gently takes her hand. Shireen stares at his hand, so much bigger than hers, and looks in the grey eyes, soft as his father's.

"I heard Lord Greyjoy… he said I was a… a monster… because of… this", she points at her stained cheek. Jon looks down, feeling so bad for her, and so angry at Theon.

"You are not a monster", he says. "Theon is. His soul is as dark as a winter night…" he whispers.

She suddenly starts crying again and, unsure of how to act, he hugs her, holding her in his arms and stroking her hair.

"He-he is right", she stammers. "I-I a-am a m-monster… n-no one w-will e-ever w-want m-me…" she sobs loudly, tears running on her cheeks. Jon moves away to kneel in front of her:

"You are not a monster…" he raises his hand to move the hair away from her cheek and stares at her face as his fingers stroke gently the sequel of greyscale. She gasps and stares at his eyes, his fingers slowly wiping the tears away.

"You are a sweet and nice Lady, and you will be a beautiful woman, one day… Many men will want to marry you, Lady Baratheon", he smiles a bit and moves his hand away but she grabs it quickly.

"Would you?" she asks, her heart hammering in her chest, her glimmering eyes staring at him.

"Would I?" he makes her repeat, confused.

"If I was your age, would you marry me, Jon?" she asks, not shy anymore.

Jon holds back a chuckle and looks down at her:

"I doubt your Lord father would marry you to a…." he stops when he remembers her words about calling people 'bastards' and he goes on with: "…an illegitimate child, even though my father is Ned Stark."

Shireen looks disappointed, and he smiles at her:

"We should get back in. The feast is going to start, and it is quickly dark, especially in the Godswood."

Shireen nods, silently following him, feeling better than she has felt for months.


	51. Chapter 51

_Casterly Rock, 298 AC_

Waking up with the knock on his door by a servant, Aistan, the eldest son of Aylis and Stannis Baratheon, sits up in bed, yawns loudly and walks out of his bedroom, towards the great hall of Casterly Rock. He still remembers the first day he has come here with Tywin, how sad he had felt to leave his parents, but how impressed he has been when he has seen the Rock for the first time. He has never seen such big walls, and, as he was going through the lion door, he has never felt so insignificant. He has closed her eyes a second, and has prayed to come back to his parents. But Tywin has led him to the Great hall, where he is now, and eating breakfast with him. From there, he had seen the sun shining on the sea, making it sparkling as if it was made out of diamonds. And, then, he had fallen in love with the place.

He has not forgotten his parents, and reads one of their letters: he very rarely receives a common letter, rather one from them both. His father reminds him to listen carefully to Tywin, be obedient and good. His mother writes to him how much she misses him, and hopes he is well treated and well fed. Two different ways of dealing with the situation, he guesses. Although, he really enjoys living here, studying under the sun, having long conversations with Lord Tywin, learning how to fight and how to use swords, horseriding with the twins Martin and Willem, sons of Lord Kevan Lannister. They are older than him but he does not mind. He enjoys their company, they are nice and outgoing. Aistan quickly makes progress, and his relationship with Tywin is closer, even though he remains very respectful towards him.

 _King's Landing, 298 AC_

Aylis knows she cannot spend her whole life in Winterfell, despite how happy she feels there. Stannis has not written, not at all, and she fears he is mad at her. After a few weeks in Winterfell, she decides it is time to get back home. She has spent wonderful days there; the twins have learnt new things and have grown up pretty much. As they get in the carriage, she notices how they stay close from Bran and Rickon, hugging them both, then the rest of the Stark children. They don't cry but their eyes shine a bit. She embraces all the Starks, and Jon, before getting in too, calling at Shireen. The young girl is definitely crying, and Aylis promises her they will see each other as soon as possible. Maybe they could come to Dragonstone, she proposes. But nothing seems to soothe the young girl's grief, not even cuddles from her mother and brothers. She keeps staring at the family watching them leave, and snuggles in her mother's arms when they have become too small to be recognizable. Aylis strokes her hair slowly, and stares at the landscape.

Stannis welcomes them when they end up reaching King's Landing. Aylis immediately knows something is wrong: he is pale, and looks severe, the smile he gives to them looks fake. He spends some moments with the children, Shireen telling him about the Starks, but he is not really focused on her, and quickly takes Aylis apart. He leads her in their room, and locks the door. Aylis frowns, worried:

"What is it?"

He looks at her:

"Jon is dying."

She needs a moment to realize he is talking about Jon Arryn, and not Jon Snow, Ned's bastard.

"Wh-what? Dying?" she stammers, shocked.

Stannis takes her hands and stares at her, whispers quietly, as if he was scared people might be listening to them:

"He is being poisoned"

Aylis gasps loudly and Stannis places a hand on her mouth:

"You need to be very careful, do you understand?" he groans, almost threatening, but, in his eyes, Aylis reads something she has never seen before. Fear.

"Who would do that?" she asks in a whisper.

"I will explain everything. Later", Stannis replies and quickly leaves her alone in their room, puzzled and scared.

She goes visit Jon and Lysa: Jon is coughing a lot and seems to ache a lot. Lysa stares at him, quite coldly, and Aylis has the terrible feeling to suspect her for his illness. She pretends to solace her, and she sits by Jon, holds his hand. He looks very confused, mumbles things she does not understand but, as she squeezes gently his hand, he turns to her, and his eyes suddenly shine and widen, but not with fear, rather with relief when he sees her. She smiles softly at him, and stands up, but he grabs her hand violently, almost hurting her. He stares at her, and, between wheezes, he says with a clear voice:

"The seed is strong! Remember, the seed is strong!"

Aylis does not understand what he means, but it looks very important to him, and he gives her a desperate look, so she smiles, to reassure him, to leave him in peace.

"I know, Lord Arryn. I know."

He lets her hand go, and lies back in bed, slightly smiling. Aylis leaves, watching Lysa taking care of him.

A few days later, Aylis is woken up in the middle of the night by Stannis. She startles and notices he's fully dressed. Half-asleep, she wimpers:

"What are you doing?"

"Dress up. We're leaving", he simply answers, throwing a dress at her.

She sits up and rubs her eyes:

"What's going on? It's the middle of the night"

"Don't ask questions and do what I'm telling you!" he almost shouts and Aylis flinches slightly. He sighs as she wraps her arms around herself and walks to her, cup her face and kisses her lengthily.

"I'll go wake the children up."

Still confused, Aylis dresses up and meets her husband out of the room. He comes back holding the twins, Shireen following sleepily. He motions them to remain silent and they walk to the port, similar to shadows. Before she knows it, Stannis takes Aylis on _Fury_ and they sail to Dragonstone. Rocked by the waves, the children soon fall back asleep, and Aylis walks to her husband, taking the helm, focused on the sea. He looks so bad she herself feels awful, and she quickly joins him, wraps her arms around his waist, leaning her face on his back. Then she beseeches him:

"Talk to me…"

She feels his chest rising up slowly and a loud sigh escaping his lips.. It has been months since they have not been that close, since she saw Aistan leaving. She knows, in her heart, she will never forgive Stannis, except maybe if Aistan comes back to her. She has never likes the Lannisters, nor trusted them. But she would never imagine what Stannis would tell her now, in the middle of Blackwater Bay. His voice, then, soft and deep, says:

"Jon is dead, during the night, just before we leave. I have good reasons to believe he has been poisoned by Cersei and Ser Jaime."

Her arms wrap tighter around him, and she stammers:

"B-but, why?"

She has always known something was wrong with Cersei, and she has never liked Jaime either, his honeyed tone and his handsomeness. Too good to be true, according to her. She has never blamed him for killing Aerys, it has probably been one of the best things he has ever done, but there is something about him, about them, which makes her very ill at ease.

"Jon and I have been spending lot of time together. You have noticed this. We have been making inquiries about Robert's bastards and we have realized that Joffrey, Tommen and Myrcella are not Robert's children", Stannis says, very laconically.

Aylis, very surprised with his tone, moves away to face him and, a bit stupidly, asks:

"Who is their father then?"

Stannis raises an eyebrow, as if he couldn't believe she is serious. She startles a bit:

"Oh no…. How could they?... Stannis, do you realize how serious it is? It is treason towards Robert, and it means…" she does not finish her sentence and looks up at him. Her heart hammers in her chest. "It means you are the heir…" she whispers, as if afraid of her own words.

Her husband does not look puzzled by her reaction.

"Jon and I wanted to have enough proof, then annul Robert's wedding with Cersei and have him marrying someone else", he explains. "But now he is dead, Robert will never believe me if I tell him his children are not really his. I think Cersei has suspected Jon and me, that's why I am taking you all away from her."

Aylis nods slowly and stares at him, looking at him with different look now: when Robert will die, he should be the heir. But if no one proves that fact, he will have to remain in Dragonstone for the rest of his life. He remains as he has always been, jaw clenched, focused on what he is doing. When they get there, they put the children to bed, and go to sleep as well. Aylis fears that Cersei's revenge would be terrible, and barely sleeps that night, remembering Aistan is in Cersei's father's hands. What does the future hold for them all? This simple question brings tears to her eyes with anguish.


	52. Chapter 52

_King's Landing, 288 AC_

Renly and Loras are having a walk in the woods surrounding King's Landing. After Jon's death, Stannis has mysteriously fled, but Renly has remained as the Master of Laws. He has been distraught when he has known about his brother running away, but who he missed the most was Lady Aylis. His sister-in-law has always been kind to him, and has quickly realized the nature of his relationship with Loras. She has never judged him, contrary to a lot of her peers. He feels nauseous when he realizes that, one day, he will have to marry the daughter of a great Lord. Women have never interested him. He could see their beauties, but imagining himself in bed with one of them was making him flinch. When he was younger, he has imagined being in the Kingsguard, but he was not a good swordman. Not enough, anyways, to pretend to this honor. When Jon has died, he has thought Robert would ask Stannis to become his Hand, but his flight has enraged Robert, and he has even accused him of cowardice. Despite not being friends, Stannis and Jon has been spending a lot of time together, and the loss of his Hand and his younger brother have been a shock to him. Secretly, with Loras, Renly would like Robert to annul his wedding with Cersei and to take Loras's sister, Margaery, as his new Queen. He thinks she looks like Lyanna and, thus, she would please the King. Ned Stark has been eventually appointed as Hand of the King, and Renly knew he did not like Cersei very much. He had good hopes he would support his decision of overthrowing her. But things never work as foreseen, and Robert has been badly injured in a hunting accident. The maesters were very pessimistic, and the King was much in pain. Renly and Robert have never really been close, but Renly could not stand seeing him suffering that much. Rumors are spreading in the city, some people say he has been poisoned too, as well as Jon Arryn, and Renly starts fearing for his life. If Robert dies, he will have to leave the capital as soon as possible.

He is walking silently by Loras's side, and feels the urge of taking a piss. He pulls his breeches down, baring his butt and Loras stares at it with a smirk. Wrapping his hands around his chest, he whispers in his ear:

"You could do it…"

Renly frowns slightly, turning his head to his:

"What are you talking about?"

"You could be King. You would be such a great King, my love…" he purrs in his ear, groping his butt. Renly holds back a laugh:

"Mind your words, Lord Tyrell. My brother is not dead yet. And I have an older one, remember?"

He is amused by Loras's enthusiasm, but shakes his head with disbelief. Sometimes, Loras does not realize how dangerous are his words and his acts.

"Stannis…." He says his name with such a disdain Renly freezes. Loras releases the hug and leans against the tree by him. "Nobody likes Stannis. Nobody wants to serve him, to fight for him. He has never been interested in making friends, which is why he is alone on his bloody island." He looks up at Renly and keeps saying: "You, however… You are young, handsome, nice and fair. You please the women and the men of this kingdom. People would follow anywhere… I would."

He stares at him and, for a second, Renly remains silent. He stares at the yellow liquid squirting out of his cock, and, when he is done, he pulls his breeches back, and stares back at Loras:

"If Robert dies, I will give my full support to Stannis. Everyone knows Joffrey and the other children are bastards. I will help prove this fact."

He passes by Loras, and this one grabs his arms:

"My father would support you, Renly! Think about it! The Iron throne could be yours! Just take it!"

Renly glares at his fingers, then at his eyes, and suddenly, his hand gropes his neck and he pins him against a tree violently. Loras gasps but, despite his strength, cannot free himself.

"Your father?" he hisses. "Remind me where your father was, when I was almost starving to death? Remind me where my brother Robert was? And, finally, remind me where Stannis was? Your father was the one starving me; Robert was the one ignoring our fate. And Stannis…. Stannis was the one feeding me, he was the one wiping my ass and cleaning me up when I was so exhausted I was shitting myself! Do you know what it is, Loras Tyrell, when you shit and that you have nothing in your belly except water? Well, that is what you shit: water! Stannis has been the one taking care of me, he has reassured me, spent nights watching over me, told me stories of how our lives would be great when we would be freed by Robert. So how dare you telling me to betray him? How would you feel if I would tell you I would support you, and put your nice little ass on Highgarden's siege if you betray Willas and Garlan? Mh?"

Loras, starting to get red with suffocation, manages to hiss:

"It is not the same thing…"

"It is exactly the same thing!" Renly brutally releases his grip. Loras coughs hard, and glares at him:

"My brothers are good men!" he protests.

"Because Stannis is not? Just because he does not like jousting and fancy clothes does not mean he is a bad man, Loras. I thought you were a better judge of human nature", Renly gives him a disappointed look. "But you are right with something: Robert is probably gonna die, and I will never support the bastard. I will join my brother, and call him my King. Now, if all your pretty words are true, if you would really follow me anywhere, join us. You are an excellent swordsman, Loras. You are brave, and smart on a battlefield. Prove your strength, prove your loyalty, and Stannis will make you one of his Kingsguards. Then, we will be free to be with each other. Refuse, and this is the end of us. I will never choose you over my blood."

Loras looks truly shocked by his words and pales, but keeps his arrogance:

"My father would not support Stannis. Not after what happened between them."

"Your father is an honorable man. He will support the rightful king, because it is how things should be", Renly argues. Loras nibbles his lip:

"And my grandmother? She can convince nobles to support Joffrey."

"Lady Olenna is not the head of House Tyrell. She is not even a Tyrell."

"But she has a great influence", Loras says, looking down.

Renly feels how puzzled is his lover, and, as he sees the red mark on his neck, he feels sorry for having been so brutal. He walks to him and hugs him:

"Follow me, and I will never leave you, Loras… Not even if I marry a woman. You will always be the one I love."

Shutting his eyes tight, Loras nods, and hugs him back.

 _A/N: I know, I know, this is not how Renly is, but I have imagined a different relationship between him and Stannis. And, anyways, he should be like that… in my opinion anyways. Reviews are always welcomed, thank you!_


	53. Chapter 53

_Dragonstone, 298 AC_

Cressen walks upstairs in the aviary to feed and take care of the crows, one coming back injured, when he sees a black crow flying to him. He frowns slightly but, lately, a lot of messages have reached Stannis and Aylis. He clumsily takes the message out off the crow's leg and reads it. His heart skips a beat and tears start rolling down his cheeks without him being able to hold them back. He immediately runs to Stannis. The Lord of Dragonstone is in the Great Hall, surrounded by his family. Aylis is smiling sadly as the twins are chasing each other around, and Shireen is calmly sewing. They all look up at Cressen when he storms in the room. Stannis looks at the parchment, quivering in Cressen's hand, and looks up at his face, notices the tears. This is when he knows what the parchment is saying. A shiver runs up and down his spine and, for a moment, he wonders if he will be able to stand up. Leaning his hands on the arms of his chair, he does so, calmly, and walks to Cressen. He hears Shireen asking what is wrong, but he is unable to answer. Indeed, her voice seems far, so far away. He locks his eyes with Cressen's tearful ones, and he feels a hand on his shoulder, knowing it is his wife. His eyes read the few words hastily written down. He immediately recognizes the handwriting, and it is not his sister-in-law's. Ned Stark wrote the words telling him his brother has died. Behind him, he hears Aylis gasp loudly, and realizes she has read above his shoulder. Exasperated by her behavior, he walks away, holding the parchment. As he turns around to face them, he sees Aylis hugging Cressen tight, and the two of them weep silently. Shireen has stopped sewing, the twins have stopped playing, and they are all staring at him, turning him very ill at ease. Aylis pulls out of Cressen's arms, and whispers something in Shireen's ear. The little girl walks to her father, and curtseys elegantly in front of him. "Your Grace", she greets him. Stannis would have felt better if she had thrown in his face a bucket of frozen water. He tries to smile, but only manages to wince, and he softly strokes Shireen's hair, before scowling at his wife. Aylis, surprised, looks down embarrassed, and Stannis walks out of the room quickly. He gives her a look ordering her to follow him and she obeys, wiping tears away. She loved Robert, and feels so sad he passed away. From what Ned has written, he has been injured by a boar during a hunt but there is something with the words he has chosen to write, which makes her think there is something else behind all this. She does not forget how Bran fell from a tower when Robert has gone to Winterfell to ask Ned to become his Hand. She is drawn out of her thoughts by Stannis grabbing her wrist firmly.

"What have you said to Shireen? What have you said to my daughter?!" he hisses, nastily. Aylis does not understand his reaction and does not answer. He shakes her violently, ordering her to answer him.

"What… what's wrong?" she stammers, trying to move away from his grip.

"Have you told her about Cersei's children?" he asks again and Aylis stares at him, quickly nodding. Stannis pales much, and brutally frees her, punching the wall by her. Crying out with fear, Aylis instinctively protects her face with her arms, crossed in front of her head. Stannis paces up and down in front of her, and she shakes with fear as she looks at him.

"When have you told her this?" he asks, without looking at her. Still shaking, she does not answer and he yells the question again. She violently startles and mumbles:

"When we have left King's Landing."

The sudden absence of noises lets her think he is staring at her, but she does not dare look up:

"Do you realize how dangerous it was to reveal her this? She is a child, seven hells! A child! Imagine that she would have said it to an enemy?"

"She promised to keep the secret", Aylis argues but Stannis snorts. She gives him a hurtful look: does he trust them so little? Aylis knows her daughter; she knows she would never ever betray her father. She sees him shaking his head slowly, sadly. She takes a step to him, he hears her, but does not react. Thinking it is a sign from him; she walks closer to him, and carefully wraps her arms around his waist. My husband, she thinks. My Lord… My King… A brutal belly pang makes her swallow hard, and she suddenly feels nauseous. Closing her eyes, she whispers:

"What is going to happen now?"

"Lord Stark will not stay the Hand much longer, I fear", he says, and all anger seems to have vanished in him. He sounds…sad, indeed, almost afraid. Aylis swallows hard again as he goes on talking: "No one knows about Joffrey being a bastard. He is going to be crowned, and he will probably choose Lord Tywin as his Hand."

"You need to tell Westeros that you are the rightful heir, that Robert has not fathered these children", she softly says.

He nods slowly:

"And who will support me? Who will believe me?"

She looks at his eyes:

"I will. My sisters will. Your brother will. Your vassals will."

He smiles a bit, and strokes her hair:

"You are so young, my love… Please, forgive my anger. I fear for you all", he looks down, as if he is ashamed of his own feelings. Aylis strokes his cheek, the soft skin warm under her strokes.

"There is nothing to forgive", she whispers and gently kisses his lips.

They are interrupted by Cressen, walking in the room:

"Forgive me, my… your Grace", he quickly corrects himself. "Renly is here", he says, his eyes shining with emotion.

Stannis looks at Aylis, and they quickly walk out, joining Renly in the Great Hall. He is smiling as he is watching the twins, and he has not come alone: Loras is with him. They look like they hastily ran away, and Stannis walks to Renly, who hugs him tight. After some seconds, Stannis pats his back awkwardly. Physical contact is still difficult to him.

"I have come here as soon as Robert has died", Renly says. "I want you to be assured of our full support."

"Our?" Stannis raises.

Loras looks at him and nods quickly:

"You are the rightful king. But the Lannisters will not abandon the throne easily. You need men, you need an army. I am at your command", he kneels and sheathes out his sword, presenting it to Stannis. The King looks at Renly, then Loras, and tells him to stand up.

"I accept your service. Serve me well, and I will reward you. Betray me, and I will punish you. Now", he turns to Cressen, "I need to write a letter."

Cressen nods and walks upstairs, and Aylis smiles warmly at Renly and Loras, who follow the one they now call King.


	54. Chapter 54

_Casterly Rock, 298 AC_

Aistan's life has not really changed, since he has learnt about his uncle's death. He has wept him, Robert having always been very nice to him, but life has gone on. And then, he heard about Joffrey, his cousin, executing Ned Stark, his uncle, for treason. Aistan is alone in Casterly Rock, surrounded by Lannisters, the same who killed Ned, and, some say, who also killed King Robert. Suddenly, he feels like a prisoner, a hostage, and not a fostered boy anymore. He fears for his life, everyday, and for his parent's. Still, he keeps admiring Lord Tywin, who does not change towards him. Lord Tywin has left for war, after Tyrion, his son, has been accused of trying to kill Bran Stark and arrested by Catelyn Stark. Tywin has never really loved Tyrion, but the insult made to his House has turned him furious and he has attacked the Riverlands, Catelyn Stark's homeland. Aistan feels like his heart is torn between pieces: on one hand, his cousins, Cersei, and Tywin; on the other, his parents, and his mother's family. He knows too well people are used in wars, and he knows he will be, in one way or the other. The day before Tywin has left; he has come to see him. He has sat on the little boy's bed, by him, and has told him about the war, about what Catelyn had done, and about how he will never leave Casterly Rock. His voice has been calm, his look determined, and Aistan has never felt more scared, respectful and determined in his whole young life.

 _Dragonstone, 298 AC_

The Baratheons learn about Ned Stark's death a fortnight later. His two daughters, Sansa and Arya, are the hostages of the Lannisters now. Stannis has to act quickly. On this day, he is disturbed by Cressen, saying he has a strange looking visitor. As Stannis follows the old maester, he leads him to the Great hall where a young woman is standing still. She is tall, almost as tall as Stannis, wearing a bright red dress, and, as she turns her face to him, he sees a pale, heart-shaped face. A beautiful woman, he would say. When she sees him, she kneels in front of him and he nods at her, encouraging her to talk. She stands up and moves the hood off her hair, revealing color of burnish copper.

"My name is Melisandre. I come from Asshai", she says with a strong Essos accent. "I am a red priestess."

Stannis glances at Cressen, who looks immediately hostile to the woman. They both know who red priests and priestesses are: the followers of R'hllor, God of fire, who wants to see his enemies burnt alive. The religion is greatly followed in Essos, a lot less in Westeros. Stannis has never been fond of religion, but he knows some priests of R'hllor have magical power.

"What brings you here, my Lady?" Stannis asks politely.

The lips of the woman curl up in a smirk:

"You, my King. R'hollor sends me visions, you see. I have seen you, and this place, in one of my visions. You are Azor Ahai, my King."

Once again, Stannis and Cressen look at each other. They don't need words to understand what each other think: the prophecies are a dangerous thing, and they know about this story of a hero who would be reborn to save the world from darkness. Could it be Stannis? Melisandre stares at them with an amused smirk: the King is very tall and has broad shoulders, his blue eyes shining in the middle of his face. He is not really handsome, but she feels attracted to him. Stannis suddenly clears his throat and turns to Cressen:

"Maester Cressen, please ensure lady Melisandre is settling in a comfortable room. I need to talk to my wife."

Melisandre curts but Cressen holds back a disappointed look towards Stannis. As a follower of the faith of the Seven, he cannot, he does not want to listen to these stupid prophecies. Honestly, he does not care Stannis is Azor Ahai. Stannis is not a hero, and it will take more than a burning sword to save Westeros from the darkness. He shivers slightly as he gets in the room he has chosen for Melisandre: the windows are open, and a cold wind blows in the room.

"Forgive me, my Lady. I will light a fire", he bows but Melisandre stops him.

"Do not bother yourself, old maester. I am never cold. The fire of R'hllor burn in me", she smiles, takes his hand and places it against her cheek. Cressen notices how her skin is warm, and gasps slightly, quickly moving his hand off. The priestess laughs, an amused and sweet laugh, almost making Cressen smiles. But he knows better, and leaves the room silently.

In the Chamber of the Painted Table, Stannis is looking at the different forces of the Houses of Westeros. Since Robert died, he has not had news from Aistan. But he knows his heir is alive: Tywin would not risk losing a great asset in this war. With Renly and Loras convincing his father to join him, he has a very impressive army now. Every day, a new House joins him, bringing new men, getting him closer from his goal. His blue eyes stare at King's Landing: he would conquer it by the sea. But, then, he would need some help from the land, just in case. Silently, his jaw clenched tightly, his eyes run from King's Landing to Winterfell.

 _Somewhere in the North, 298 AC_

Blue eyes are staring at the Lords gathering in front of them. Robb Stark has called his bannermen after he heard about the arrest of his father to march on King's Landing. But, now his father is dead. The anger has replaced the sorrow, and now, he needs to talk to his people. They are silent, staring at him. After a moment, he speaks:

"My Lords… you have followed me in this war. Now, the Lannisters have killed my father. I have just received this", he shows a parchment. "My uncle, Stannis Baratheon, claims Joffrey Baratheon, Tommen Baratheon and Myrcella Baratheon are bastards, born from incest between Queen Cersei and her brother Jaime."

He pauses, observes the men's reactions. Most are horrified or shocked, but none is surprised.

"My father was an honorable man, and I intend to keep being one. Thus, I am asking you to support my decision to join Stannis's forces, and to help him win the Iron Throne."

Most cheer for him, but some remain silent. He hushes the cheer with a gesture of his hand, and Lord Umber rises:

"Why? Why would we join a Southern King? You are young, Lord Stark, and brave. If I want to follow a King, it will be you! A northern King, the King in the North!"

Numerous men cheer loudly at these words, but immediately stay quiet as Robb rises in turn:

"My aunt is married to Stannis Baratheon. The same blood than her run in my veins. Do you ask me to betray her, so I rule over the North?I do not wish to be King, Lord Umber. The only thing I wish for is vengeance for my father's death. Freedom for my sisters. Are they not more important than a golden crown?"

Lord Umber remains silent, but slowly sits back down. Robb nods at the assembly:

"Very well, my Lords. We will march on King's Landing."


	55. Chapter 55

_Dragonstone, 298 AC_

Loras places a light knock on the door, waiting for Stannis to allow him in. Since Robb Stark has joined them, he has started harassing the Lannister army, and Stannis has been impressed with his strategic intelligence, and his bravery in battle. He is seconded by Lord Bolton, Lord of Dreadfort, who gives him precious advices. For now, Stannis has not decided to attack King's Landing yet. He provides men and food to Robb, but has not engaged yet. Aistan is still a prisoner of the Lannisters, and he cannot risk his life. As Loras hears him telling him to come in, he leans on the handle of the door, and steps in the Painted Table's room. Stannis is here, standing by the edge of the room, staring at the sea. Ser Davos is by his side, but faces the young man, smiling warmly at him. Loras nods and bows respectfully to Stannis, even though he is not looking at him. The King ends up turning around and stares at him a few seconds. Stannis has heard rumors about him and Renly, and, even though he knows about his brother's sexuality, he has trouble accepting it. He needs allies in this war, and allies are won over marriage.

"Ser Loras", Stannis greets him. "I needed to see you to discuss something important with you."

Loras nods, swallowing hard. He fears the words which are going to blurt out of Stannis's mouth.

"I intend to betroth Robb Stark with your sister, Margaery. What do you think?" he asks.

Straight to the point, Loras thinks. As usual. He holds back a smile and nods at him:

"I think they would make a very gorgeous couple, your Grace."

Stannis seems suddenly irritated and clenches his jaw:

"This is not what I am asking to you, Ser. Will your sister agree to this marriage?"

Loras seems puzzled and looks at Davos, trying to know what the King wants to hear. Davos stares back at him, still. The young knight mutters:

"Your Grace… If it is your will, she will obey you of course."

Stannis sighs silently, and gets closer from him:

"I have learnt from my own experience that a marriage which is wanted is a stronger marriage than one which is compelled. This is why I am asking you, Ser, if your sister would be willing. Robb is young, and handsome. We would find easily another bride for him. But I must say I would be relieved to see him marrying Margaery. Two of the greatest houses allying, and forgetting about the past to build a new Westeros."

"I will consult my father and ask my sister", Loras nods, "and let you know about their advice about this marriage", and he bows respectfully.

Stannis nods approving and Loras takes a step backwards:

"One more thing. Talking about marriages, do you have an idea about who could marry Renly?" Stannis asks again.

With his words, Loras feels like he is thrown off a cliff. His mouth suddenly dry, he feels like he is going to be sick. Renly, married. The thought of this is too awful to him. He feels Stannis's eyes upon him, and Davos's ones as well. He knows they are watching for his reaction, and that they would not miss how pale he suddenly gets, and how nervous he seems. Loras tries to keep his composure, and thinks about a name, any name.

"Why not Arianne Martell, your Grace?"

Stannis gives him a surprised look, and Davos says:

"Are the Martells going to support us in this war?"

He has been taught about the history of Westeros, and remembers the Martells have supported Aerys during the Rebellion, and that they hold Tywin Lannister responsible for Elia Martell's death. Loras turns to Davos:

"They could, if we give them a good offer."

"The Martells will not support us, not as long as a Targaryen is alive", Stannis slowly states.

They have learnt about Daenerys targaryen's wedding to the leader of the Dothrakis, Khal Drogo. Her brother Viserys intends to take the throne back, and the Dothrakis are reputed as excellent warriors. But Stannis knows he has way more men than the Dothrakis, and that they cannot build a fleet. He has ships, though, and knows how to use them.

"Your Grace, the Martells want to avenge Elia's death. Promise them you will give them the heads of Tywin Lannister, Ser Gregor and Ser Amory, and I am sure they will support you. Betrothing Arianne to Renly would just add interest to the offer", Davos says carefully, and he notices how Loras looks down at the end of his sentence.

Stannis stays silent for a second, and the creaking of the fire and the sound of the waves licking the cliff are the only ones breaking the silence. He chews on his tongue, staring at the Westeros map in front of him. He ends up slightly nodding and looks at Davos:

"Cressen will send the letter. It is all, Ser Loras, you can leave. Davos, you stay."

Hastily, willing to hide his tears, Loras walks out. When they are alone, Stannis serves a cup of water to Davos, and to himself.

"What do you think?" he asks the previous smuggler.

Davos tilts his head:

"It seems obvious he loves your brother, your Grace."

Stannis nods slowly and sips water:

"Renly cannot stay single. He has to marry a highborn woman. It is his duty."

"But what about love, your Grace?" Davos cannot help asking.

"What do you mean?" Stannis frowns.

"You are always talking about duty. Is there no love in your life?" Davos retorts.

For a moment, Stannis does not know how to answer this:

"Of course there is. You know I love the Queen."

Davos plays with the knuckles he keeps around his neck:

"Your brother should be allowed to be happy as much as you are, your Grace."

He does not care that Stannis scowls at him: the King asks him honesty and loyalty, and that is what he is willing to give him. But Stannis cannot choose when Davos has to be honest or not. As a believer, Davos does not like the idea of homosexuality. He does not condemn it, but he believes it to be sinful. Loras and Renly love each other, probably since the time Loras was sent to Storm's end as a page. He imagines himself being deprived of Marya, and the thought of it is unbearable. It is difficult enough to be far away from her because of the war. Davos keeps looking at Stannis, impressed by his look, but not willing to show it. After a moment, Stannis clucks his tongue and waves, annoyed.

"I do not wish to talk about my brother with you. I made you stay for another business. Aistan needs to be smuggled out of Casterly Rock."

Davos almost gasps with surprise:

"And how do you intend to do this, your Grace? I have seen Casterly Rock… not with hundreds men you could get in secretly…"

"I do not need hundreds men. I need the son of a smuggler. The son of the best smuggler I know", Stannis looks at Davos.

Holding back a proud smile, but still worried with what he is asking him to do, he stammers:

"Why not me?"

"You are my Hand. I need you by my side."

Davos's jaw drops wide and he stares at the King, his knees suddenly frail, his mouth wide open in surprise. Stannis notices, and frowns.

"Oh. Maybe I should have been more formal. On your knees."

Last time Stannis has said this, he was skinny, almost dead. In his hand, a cleaver was gleaming. Davos can sometimes feel the pain again, the smell of blood, and his joints laying there in the mud. A shiver runs up and down his spine, and Stannis sheathes his sword. Without even realizing it, Davos has knelt in front of him, and his brown eyes stare at Stannis's blue ones.

"I, Stannis of House Baratheon, the first of my name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm, name you, Ser Davos Seaworth, Knight of Cape Wrath, Lord of the Rainwood and Admiral of the Narrow Sea, hand of the King."

As the King's shining sword touches his shoulders, a tear falls down on the smuggler's cheek.


	56. Chapter 56

_Casterly Rock, 298 AC_

Allard slowly and carefully manoeuvres on the unleashed sea. He knows Casterly Rock is not far now, but this part of his trip is the most difficult one. He has left Dragonstone and his father a few weeks ago, has sailed south through the Narrow sea, avoiding going too close from King's Landing, then south again, crossing the Stepstones, sailing offshore Dorne's coasts. No answer has been received from Dorne to Stannis's offer. The Targaryens were not all dead. Doran Martell is probably more enthusiast about a Targaryen on the Iron Throne, than a Baratheon. To strengthen a little more the alliance with Robb, he has proposed that Sansa would marry Theon Greyjoy, whenever he will free her. Thus, he hopes to ensure Theon's loyalty. He is unsure about the young lad, but he knows he loves Robb, and being officially a member of the Stark family would please him. Robb foresees to send him in Pyke, to win Balon's loyalty, but the Greyjoy Lord is still bitter about his missed rebellion, in which he has lost all his sons, including Theon. Not really a Stark, not a Greyjoy anymore in his father's eyes, Theon's mission seems perilous. Catelyn does not like the idea, and is trying to make Robb change his mind. That's all Allard know so far. He is going to leave for a long time, and only hopes he will not deceive the King and his family. He relaxes a bit when he gets in The Arbor, then in Redwyne straits. Here, he is among friends. The Tyrells are a great ally in the war. Once he passes the Shield Islands and the Sunset Sea, he gets very defiant. But, somehow, the sail is safe, and calm. Of course, he has to weather some storms, but he is a good sailor, just like his father, and he manages to get to the Westerlands, his ship as good as when he left. Casterly Rock is very impressive from the sea, and surely much more from the land. But he cannot be distracted: he has a plan, and he needs to stick to it. As he gets into Lannisport, and moors his boat to a quay, some soldiers arrest him.

"Where do you come from, and what are you doing here?"

They look obviously nervous: the war is not going on well for the Lannisters. But Allard knows how to play the innocent lad:

"I am just a merchant, Ser", he points at his boat, and the merchandise he has in it. The soldiers make him take the boxes out and carefully examine them.

"Where do you come from?"

"King's Landing, Ser", Allard nods and bows slightly. "Flea Bottom", he smiles. "This is crab I am transporting. You can have a box for you and your ladies, Ser", he says again.

The soldiers look tempted, and glance at each other, but the older one gives the boxes to Allard.

"You can come in and sell your stuff, boy" he glares at him.

"Thank you", Allard nods and bows again, quickly grabbing his boxes and walking to the other merchants. Casterly Rock is very different than King's Landing: less overcrowded, the streets are cleaner, and the fruits and vegetables perfume the air. No one could know, seeing the town, they are at war. The stalls are full, surprising Allard. He knows the Reach is like the breadbasket of Westeros, but it is obvious that the Westerlands know how to cultivate. Quietly, he finds a spot and starts selling his crab. He needs to get rid of it anyways, so he announces the cheapest prices. Soon, he has more clients than anyone and he notices servants, young women, talking between each other about the castle. His heart skips a beat and he smiles charmingly at the girls. His aim is to seduce one, get in the castle with her help, and then look for Aistan during the night. The servants giggle at him, and the one who blushes the most buys more crab than the other. He holds her back as the others walk away, and proposes her to meet later. She seems to hesitate, but he charms her well, and she ends up agreeing, her cheeks red as a beetroot. As she goes back to the castle, she waves shyly at him. Her name is Margot, and her hair blonde as a field of wheat.

They meet at night, quite late, and, after kisses exchanged out of the castle, she leads him in, to her room. She shares a small room with three other servants, and Allard is careful of being as silent as possible, taking her against the wall so the bed does not creak. When she ends up falling asleep in bed, he stares at her, then at the ceiling, and slowly moves away from her arms. As he gathers his clothes and gets ready to leave, he hears:

"Where are you going?"

He turns around and sees her, naked, sitting on the edge of the bed. He smiles softly at her:

"I have to go. Your master would not be happy to see me in your bed tomorrow."

She looks at him, and suddenly burst into tears. Allard rushes on her and stifles her tears, placing his hand on her mouth. He can't risk her to wake the other servants up. She has more or less told him where Aistan was, and he needed to search for him. He has to find him before dawn. She keeps crying and whispers against his hand "Please, take me with you. I want to run away from here. Please! No one has seen you, we can leave on your boat before dawn!" For a second, he is tempted to knock her off and leave, but this is not how his father has raised him. Margot is beautiful and young. He could marry her, why not. His father would not mind this. So, he nods with a smile and whispers back "Leave before me, go to the harbor. My boat is pretty small and called _Marya_. Go on it, and wait for me. I have to do something first. I will not be long."

Margot nods quickly and dresses back up. Allard kisses her passionately before walking out silently. When he is alone in the corridors, he follows his instinct, hiding behind pillars when he hears voices of the soldiers. He takes a little dagger out of his boot, hoping he will not have to use it. Slowly, he makes his way through the castle, looking for Aistan. He knows the prince will be kept safely. He ends up reaching a corridor, lightened up by torches, and two men guarding the door. Allard swallows hard and waits for a few minutes. Luckily, one of the guards tells the other he needs to pee, and walks towards Allard. Silently, careful so the other does not see him, Allard knocks him off when he passes by him, and steals his sword. He notices the man is more or less the same height than him. After a second, he decides to steal his clothes, and dresses up like him, before hiding the inconscious body in an empty room. He stands straight as he comes back to the other guard. He looks relieved to see him, and can't stop fidgeting:

"Fuck, I have eaten bad fish I think…"

He holds his stomach, this one making really impressive noises. The man winces and suddenly becomes very pale.

"Don't puke on me!" Allard tries to imitate the other soldier the best he can. He glances at him, and runs away, his armor noisy as he leaves. Allard sighs relieved, and takes the keys hanging on the belt of the armor he is wearing to open the door of the room. In the bed, a little boy is sleeping peacefully. His hair is dark as coal, but Stannis had warned him to be careful: maybe the Lannisters would use other boys, because they would expect an escape. He has thus told him about a birth mark Aistan has on the butt, and has told him he had to check. The young man walks silently to the prince, and, swallowing hard with embarrassment, he moves the sheets away. The boy moves slightly, and Allard moves his breeches down until he sees the mark. He is so relieved he pulls the breeches back a bit abruptly and the prince wakes up, turns around and Allard has just the time to place his hand on his mouth before the boy cries out with fear. His blue eyes are totally panicked, and Allard places a finger on his own lip.

"I came here to take you back to your parents, my Prince", he whispers, holding a parchment to the boy, who reads it. It is a simple word from Stannis, so the boy knows he is safe. He nods slowly and looks at the armor. Allard takes his hand off:

"I am Allard Seaworth, son of Davos Seaworth. I came here to take you home, but you need to follow me now. Don't take anything with you."

He stands up and walks to the door. Aistan does not follow him right away: the boy is still very young, but memories of the life he is about to leave comes back to him. He even hesitates, for a moment. Lord Tywin would never forgive him for running away, for abandoning him, but what is more important? His family; or the man who has fostered him? If only war would not have happened, if only Tywin would have not been a Lannister, but an ally to his father. He wishes, for a second, that he could see Tywin, could tell him goodbye and thank him for teaching him so much. He remembers the days spent with him, how he was watching him train with swords, train with bows, how they could spend hours discussing old battles, strategy and history of Westeros, how Aistan would ask him thousands things about the Targaryens, and Aerys, and how he has felt so bad when he has seen a shadow passing in Tywin's eyes, a shadow of sadness. The old lion would not show feelings easily, but there has been times when Aistan, pretending to be asleep in his bed, could feel the hand of the old man stroking his hair gently, as a grandfather would do, and Aistan remembers this wonderful feeling of being loved and protected by a man chosen by his parents.

Aistan remembers all this, but he stands up and holds his arms at the young lad. He picks him up and runs away quickly.


	57. Chapter 57

_Dragonstone, 298 AC_

Dismissing the servants with a wave of her hand, Aylis slowly slides her tunic off her shoulders, and gets in the fuming bathtub. Allard has left for a few weeks now, and there is no way they can know if his mission has succeeded or not. She closes her eyes and leans on the wood, sighing contented as the water warms her body up. Where is Aistan now? she wonders. What does he look like? Will she ever see him again? Or will the Lannisters send his head in a box? The simple thought of it makes her shiver violently, and a pain knots her stomach. She swallows hard and strokes her belly silently. Her eyes open again when she hears the door opening and closing again: Stannis is joining her. They always had this ritual, taking a bath together, a moment just for themselves. With the war, Stannis is very busy, focused on his strategy, and impatient to be done with it. The King is not war hungry: he does not take pleasure in doing it, or in fighting. But he cannot let the Lannisters, the people who have killed his brother, he is sure of this, rule over Westeros, when the throne should be his. Aylis knows he deeply respects Tywin, and wonders what will become of him, when, or rather if they win. They have the number, but the risk of losing is still there. The Tyrell bannermen have divided between the houses supporting Mace, and the ones supporting Olenna. Stannis has been so mad when he has learnt about this Aylis thought he was going to slap Loras. Mace Tyrell is a nice man, Aylis likes him, really. He is pretty fun and pleasant to be around, but he lacks authority and charisma. Willas, his heir, is gentle, sweet, educated. Both Aylis and Stannis think he will make a great Lord, when his father will pass away. Stannis also knows the Tyrells are so powerful he will have to reward them for their loyalty to him. But, tonight, he forgets about politics for a moment, and joins his wife in bath. He leans against her and she wraps her arms around him. He smiles silently: since Aistan has been kept prisoner, she has refused to share his bed. So the baths have turned more and more frustrating for him. He has never forced her, but they have argued, often, about this, as Stannis has felt it was a punishment towards him for sending Aistan to Casterly Rock. He understands she misses her son, he misses him too, but he does not feel guilty about this.

In the bathtub, they remain silent for some minutes, Aylis's hands running on his chest. She lays a kiss behind his ear and whispers:

"Any news about Aistan?..."

She would have been one of the first to be informed, but, still, maybe they have forgotten. She feels him shaking his head slowly and squeezing her hand. She bites her lip and holds back tears. Once she is sure her voice will not tremble anymore, she asks again:

"And the war?..."

"As soon as Aistan will be safe with us, we will leave for King's Landing. We will take the city."

"Stannis…. I received a letter from Riverrun… My father is dying. I… I need to go there and see him one last time, be here when he will leave this world. Cat and Robb will be with me. Could you wait?... I know you will need Robb's army…" she hesitantly says.

For a moment, Stannis remains silent, but she can feel how tense he turns. She hopes this has not angered him, but what can she do about it? She has to be by her father's side. She wants to see Edmure again and kiss Hoster before life abandons him. Stannis ends up nodding slightly and says:

"I will give you an escort. You cannot go there on your own, too dangerous."

She nods silently and lays a long kiss on his hair. Stannis smiles innerly, thinking about who he could send with her. Loras is needed in the army. Maybe Ser Horpe? The man is lustful for battles, and anyways Stannis will have to wait for them to come back to attack King's Landing. He will send Ser Horpe, he decides, and turns to Aylis, kisses her and stands up in the bathtub. The water has turned cold, and he holds his hand at her so she stands up too. She wraps arms around him as he wraps a towel around them both and their eyes meet for a second. She wants him, but feels unable to do whatsoever, as she knows her son is still in danger. She kisses him, nicely so he remembers she is still desirable, but not too much to not frustrate him. Stannis enjoys the kiss, but breaks it as he feels desire overwhelming him. They leave to their bedroom, and fall asleep.

In the middle of the night, Stannis is woken up by loud knocks on the door. Still taken in his sleep, he suddenly sits up, thinking they are attacked. He rushes to the door with Lightbringer. Behind the door, stands Davos.

"Your Grace. I am sorry to wake you up but… you should wake the Queen up, and follow me", the knight says. Stannis understands immediately, and rushes back on Aylis, wakes her up a bit brutally. They walk out and follow Davos, Stannis soon walking in front of him, holding Aylis's hand so tight in his she fears he is going to break her bones. In the Great Hall, Allard, Aistan and a young woman with a frightened look are sitting at the table. Aylis freezes when she sees Aistan: he has not changed that much, he still looks like the so young child she watched ride away. But he has grown up, very much, and is very tall for his age. He is strongly built, just like his father, and his dark hair is the same as before. His eyes shine when they lay on his parents, and he rushes on them, hugs them both tight. Aylis is unable to say whatsoever: she cries, and cries, unable to stop, overwhelmed by feelings. Stannis kisses her hair, then Aistan's, but is the first to notice the young woman. He looks at Allard:

"Who is this?" he asks the young man.

"Her name is Margot, your Grace. She…helped me taking your son back", he lies. He knows he should not do this, it is dangerous, but he also knows Stannis is not a man who forgives easily, and that Margot has served the Lannisters, after all. He looks at Margot and nods slightly, and the girl stands up and curtseys.

"Y-your Grace", she stammers a bit, impressed to be in the King's presence.

When she was in Casterly Rock, she did not care about who was king. The Lannisters were her employer, but she has not been particularly fond of them. Lord Tywin has never treated a servant badly, but they all knew about Joffrey's deviance and weirdness. She wonders, although, how Lord Tywin has reacted when he has learnt about Aistan's escape. Stannis offers them food and drinks, and Aylis takes Aistan to bed when they are done. She lies in bed with him, and stays awake all night long, stroking his hair gently, hardly believing he is home, at least.

 _At the Lannister's Army_

The messenger looks down, his legs shaking uncontrollably. He can feel Tywin's icy look on him, and panic invades him so much he feels he is gonna throw up and piss himself, both at the same time. He dare glance at Tywin, who dismisses him with a nod. The man does not wait for more, and runs away. Tywin sighs and stares at Westeros' map spread on the table. Aistan has been his best luck to reason Stannis. And now, he's gone. He suddenly turns around and grabs a quill and ink: he orders his castellan to punish every member of the guard who was present on the evening when Aistan escaped. He writes him to torture them, because no one could have gotten into the castle without help from the inside. One or several of them are guilty, he is sure of this. When he is done, he sealed the letter and gives it to a messenger. He pours a glass of wine, and drinks it slowly, thinking, pondering over the war, the kingdom, and his children. Cersei and Jaime, together in King's Landing. He has received, like every Lord of the kingdom, the famous letter of Stannis, accusing them to have engendered Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen. He has faked outrage, of course, but deep inside him, he knows. He knows it is true. He has always known. From their childhood, he has knows something has been abnormal between them. Joanna too, has known. Joanna… He whispers her name, as a prayer. He wishes, so much, she would still be here, at his side, to help him, to advise him. It is Joanna who saw them having pervert relationship, and has put them in rooms opposite to each other, one far east of the castle, the other far west. When she has died, Tywin has lost his power on them. He has tried to betroth Jaime, but his sister's influence was stronger. The sweet words she has whispered in his ear. Tywin could imagine them. Cersei has always been dangerous, he has always known. But he thinks he has taught her more about family and nobility. Does she even care about Jaime? He doubts it. Jaime is a prisoner of the Starks, since months now. Tywin has wanted to exchange him in favor of Aistan, but how could he, now? How could he get his son back? The old lion is far from being stupid. He knows he cannot win the war. He has not enough allies, the Dornishmen have not taken a side yet, and he knows they will not support him. Because, far away from here, in Essos, a young silver-haired woman is looking to avenge her family, and taking back the throne of her father. Tywin can remember the night his men has sacked King's Landing: he can see again the little body Ser Gregor has brought to him, and his sister, not much older, her chest red as if she has been painted, but he could have not ignored the traces of the knife which had bruised the innocent girl. He could never forget the look of Eddard Stark's face. But Ned is dead, and he, Tywin, is going on. At first, he has not cared about the deaths of those children, but, now, from time to time, they haunt them in his dreams, he hears the yells, the cries, the supplications, he sees the bloody faces, and they suddenly change into Jaime and Cersei. This is when he wakes up, in a sweat and his heart hammering in his chest. But he cannot regret what he has done: it needed to be done, depite what the honourable Ned Stark would say. A Targaryen alive would never stop wanting the throne. Proof with Daenerys. But Tywin must care about his family first: if Stannis, or he should say when Stannis will win the throne, nothing he could say will save Cersei. She has cheated on Robert, probably since the very beginning of their marriage, she has betrayed Robert by claiming children were his, she has poisoned the wine so he gets killed : she is guilty of too many crimes to get away with it. The only one he can save is Jaime. As for Tyrion, he truly hopes he will die in battle. His eyes wander again on the map, and he narrows them, determined to fight, until the war is truly lost, and that he sees Stannis sit on the Iron throne. The only hope he has, is that Stannis is less cruel than he is himself. If for him, if he was in Stannis's place, he would execute the whole family, and get rid of it once and for all.


	58. Chapter 58

_Riverrun, 298 AC_

Aylis has reached her hometown a few days ago, having taken Aistan with her. They have been separated for way too long, and now, she wants to enjoy his presence as much as she can. She feels complete again since he has come back home. Aylis had rewarded Stannis with a sleepless night and has discovered the day she has reached Riverrun that she was with child once more. She has not told Stannis, though: at war, ravens could be used against him, and she does not want to take any risks. On this day, the sun is shining brightly, high in the Riverrun sky, when her sister, Cat, arrives in the castle with her son Robb. Aylis welcomes them warmly with Edmure, and hugs her nephew tight. Robb has married Margaery Tyrell, and she knows they are a very happy couple. She heard rumors of a baby on the way for them, and some more sad, like Margaery would dislike Winterfell a lot, and would miss her home. Aylis understands her, and remembers the marriage was not out of love at first. She is surprised to not see the new Lady of Winterfell, and gives an inquiring look at Robb. He smiles at her:

"Lady Margaery had to stay in Winterfell…"

"Why?" Aylis asks frowning. She could not stand staying far from her husband.

"She… could not travel…" he hesitantly says and Cat smiles softly at him, running a hand in his curls. Aylis understands and grins brightly:

"Oh, does that mean my sister is going to be a grandmother?"

Robb chuckles and nods quickly, Aylis congratulates him warmly and Edmure leads them all in the castle. Cat asks to see their father and Edmure nods, before taking them to his bedroom. It has been moons since he has not left his bed. As they get in, he turns his face to them, and his face brightens when he sees Cat. Then, suddenly, his face changes and he says:

"Oh, look at your dress, Cat… you have been playing in the mud again?"

He shakes his head slowly, as he did when they were children. Aylis sees Cat getting white as a sheet, and she gently wraps her arm around her to comfort her. The three children stay with their father, all day long, and Hoster gets more and more weird, talking to himself, getting suddenly scared with no reason. The maester says it means it is the end, and the children gather together around him, in his bed. He calls for Lysa, but they all know Lysa will not come. They think he realizes, too, because he suddenly starts crying, sobbing like a young child, begging "Forgive me Lysa". None of the children know what he is talking about; they assume it is his delirium. Hoster does not eat anything and the three children fall asleep with him, Cat and Aylis on the bed, Edmure on an armchair by them.

Aylis is the first one to wake up the following morning, and sits up, yawning slowly. She turns to her father and notices he is already awake:

"Father… How do you feel?"

She is surprised to see he is not answering; he is staring at her, his eyes wide open. She needs a moment to realize he has died looking at her. When she does, she lets out a harrowing cry which wakes up Cat and Edmure. Cat hugs her tight and Aylis sobs in her chest, wrapping her arms tight around her. Edmure stares at the body of his father, very pale, then at his sisters weeping. Cat holds her arm at him but he suddenly leaves the room, leaving the door wide open so servants and Brynden could come in. Brynden walks in and takes Aylis away, holding her as if she was a little girl:

"I wanna stay with him", she cries loudly, and, suddenly, she sees Robb and Aistan staring at them. She feels vulnerable and weak now, and she tries to move away from her uncle's arms, but he holds her tight and reassures her. Aistan tugs on his clothes:

"Is grandfather dead?" he asks, his lips quavering a bit.

Brynden hesitate, but he does not want to lie to the boy, and gives him a brief nod. Robb holds his hand, and says softly:

"Come on, let's go and pay our respects to him" he leads the little boy to the room.

When they get there, the servants leave with a bow and Robb starts praying, Aistan looking at him. The boy has tried to pray, when he was a prisoner of the Lannisters, but it has never comforted him. His eyes lay on the dead body of his grandfather. He looks peaceful, his face has never seemed more beautiful to the young boy. He gets closer and slips his hand in the dead's one. He is surprised that his skin is still warm.

"Does it not feel weird?" he asks softly.

"What does?" Robb asks.

"Our grandfather dies… and your wife is with child. It is like… I don't know… a circle..." he looks at his cousin.

Robb smiles a bit and leans his hand on the boy's shoulder:

"It exactly is, you know. Life is an eternal circle. People live and die, a birth replace a death…" he says almost sadly.

"Are you going to call your child Eddard?" Aistan looks up at him. Robb smiles with the question and nods:

"Margaery has agreed on this. But maybe the baby will be a girl."

Aistan frowns and winces slightly. Robb cannot help but chuckling:

"You do not like girls?"

The boy shakes his head:

"Father always told us a Lord has to have sons", he asserts as a lesson he would have learnt.

Robb rolls his eyes:

"Maybe your father should relax a bit and enjoy his children, whether they are boys or girls. What do you think this one will be?"

Aistan nibbles his lower lip for a moment, thinking about the two eventualities: a boy would mean another teammate to play with. A girl, a princess his father will have to marry when she will be older. He turns to his cousin:

"I hope it will be a boy", he nods.

Robb smiles and ruffles his hair gently.

Edmure spends the night with his father's body, along with Aylis and Cat. The following day, they will have to bid him farewell, and never see him again. Hormones drive Aylis very emotional and she cannot stop crying and weeping. Cat is sad too, but shows it less. They don't sleep during the night and sadly accompany their father when his body is laid on a little boat, and given to the sea. Edmure, still weeping, miss the shots which should have burnt his father's body. Aylis stares at the little boat disappearing, her eyes filled with tears, her hand holding Aistan's one very tight. She feels horrible, she feels so sad and destroyed she thinks she is going to collapse in the minute. Brynden gets to Edmure and whispers something in his ear, and Edmure, looking down, hands him the bow silently. With one shot, the boat starts burning. Weirdly enough, Aylis thinks about Melisandre as she stares at the flames devouring her father. A brutal shiver makes her whimper, and she feels Aistan's hand slipping out of hers. Surprised, she turns to him: he is staring down at her legs, a horrified look on his face. Cat notices the look and whispers:

"Gods, Aylis…"

The Queen does not understand, until she looks down, and sees the pool of blood at her feet, slowly throwing into the river running in front of her.


	59. Chapter 59

_King's Landing, 300 AC_

Sitting on his privy, his guts making horrible noises, he winces and ends up freeing himself with a whimper. The smell is awful, the feeling even worse, but there is nothing he can do about it. Loud knocks ring out in the room. "Your Grace, we need to join the men", a voice does. He stands up, dresses up and joins the men outside, not feeling better at all and still feeling like he is going to shit himself. He swallows hard and downs a cup of water a man holds at him. The soldiers bow in front of him but he knows none of them respect or like him. Finally, he sees his uncle, Tyrion. The dwarf stares at him and he looks away, embarrassed. He walks with him to the battlements, where they face the sea, so calm and peaceful. But Joffrey knows this is not going to last. He swallows hard again and Tyrion looks at him:

"Do you feel well, your Grace?" he asks her.

He knows he is mocking him, this arrogant tone with which he says 'your grace' and Joffrey mumbles that he is fine, even though he just would like to chop his head off. His fingers on the handle of Widow's wail, his sword offered to him by Tywin, his grandfather, fidget nervously. Tyrion has foreseen to use wildfire, and has ordered to build two new watchtowers, linked by a chain. The plan is simple: to let Stannis's fleet get in, use the wildfire and pull the chain to stop them from retreating. Joffrey must admit this is brilliant. And wildfire will be enjoyable to watch. After a long moment, they start hearing the noise of men rowing. Joffrey's belly is more painful than ever, and he closes his eyes a moment, looking for comfort in the soft wind blowing on his face. But it doesn't do anything and, when he opens his eyes again, he feels just worse. The fog is thick on this night, and, though they hear the enemy, they cannot see it. Impatient, Joffrey groans: "Where are they?". Just as he says this, they hear yells from the ships "Pull back!" Joffrey looks at Tyrion who curse and try to see better. Tyrion does not understand why Stannis has suddenly changed his mind. But, suddenly, out of nowhere, ships get in the bay, and in the trick. Joffrey's ships are ordered to retreat, and, from them, they pour wildfire in the water. As Tyrion gives the order, suddenly the dark night turns as luminous as a bright sunny day. The noise of the wildfire exploding the ships is deafening, and Joffrey shakes with fear and fascination, his eyes staring at the ships burning. "Beautiful", he whispers, and Tyrion thinks the Mad King himself would have not used another word. He stares at the sea, waiting to see men trying to escape the battle, but no sound can be heard. Maybe they all died on the spot. The sea gets calm again, and the wildfire evaporates slowly. It keeps burning, it will as long as there are things to burn, but, in the sea, the water dissolves the wildfire faster. The Lannisters cheer loudly, but Tyrion does not. Something is wrong. There were not enough ships burning, and the sea is too calm. The dwarf feels panic rushing in his veins as quickly as wildfire burnt the wooden ships: he has used all of it, and, he knows it, Stannis is waiting somewhere on the sea. He swallows hard and closes his eyes slowly, defeated, as he hears the clamors coming from Stannis's army. Joffrey turns to him, panicked as well and Tyrion looks at the men. Some are already panicking, but Tyrion draws his sword and looks at them:

"This city is yours! Defend it!"

The men cheer and draw their swords as well, and they all follow him on the battlements. On the sea, suddenly emerge Stannis's float, dozens and dozens of ships, taking Tyrion's breath away. But he cannot abandon the city. He shouts orders, and cheers everytime he sees one of Stannis's men, who have reached the city and are preparing ladders, killed by an arrow. He encourages the men to push down the ladders, but Stannis' army is too numerous. Soon, they invade the city with the ladders, and Tyrion defends himself the best he can, with the help of his squire. Not used to fight, he soon aches in his arms, but keeps going, knowing he is unable to do otherwise. Joffrey stares at the men dying, terrified, his sword in his hand but never hitting a man. The blade is pure and shining as if it has been forged the day before. He hears some of his generals yelling at young soldiers, or pulling some out of under a chariot, yelling at them to fight. The young soldiers cry and call out at their mothers, while the generals hit them hard. Joffrey suddenly feels nauseous and turns around to throw up on a soldier's feet. He mumbles an apology and, as he looks up, realizes he has thrown up on Sandor Clegane's boots. The Hound pushes him away and leaves growling.

With the other women of the court, Sansa shivers as she listens to the noises of the battle. She has seen sun setting when they took them all here, and now sun sets. She remembers her first time in King's Landing, how she was marveled at the sea rising on the sea. She remembers how she has felt so lucky to be here, to be promised to the future king. Now, she knows her future is stormy. Even though Stannis wins and that she is safe again, she will never forget what she has seen here. She will never forget the head of her father rolling down from his body, she can still hear the shriek she has blurted, and how her head had so violently hit the floor when she had fainted. She remembers this day outside, where Joffrey has showed her the head of her father on a spike, as well as her septa's. How nasty she had been to her? And Arya, she suddenly thinks. Where has Arya gone? She would give anything she has to get her sister back, hold her in her arms and tell her how sorry she is that she had been so hateful to her. She wipes a tear away quickly, and, as the women start panicking, she realizes the town out there has turned silent, and that the sun is high in the sky. She glances at the Queen, at Cersei, and has never found her so pale. Some women wonder if they can leave, some others whisper it is not careful but they all shut it when Cersei stands up and walks through the door. They stand up and nod, even Sansa, who, in a total contradiction, watches her with admiration. The Queen opens the door, and the sun shining on her hair turns her more beautiful than ever. She walks out, not looking back.

The women stay inside, too afraid, and it is finally Sansa, who, unable to hold it anymore, walks to the door after long minutes of silence. But, as she almost reaches the door, she sees a man walking in. She first widens her eyes, then puts her hand on her mouth and breaks down crying. Robb Stark, having joined the battle from the land, crushing the King's gate, invading the streets of King's Landing with his army, had helped Stannis to win the city. The young wolf wraps his arms around Sansa, and strokes her hair. He looks at the women standing here, all taken aback and some started to cry with fear, now they know the Lannisters have lost. He takes his sister out and turns to the women:

"Do not be afraid. No harm will be done to you."

They hesitate and no one follows him, but he still joins his sister: he understands the women need time to be reassured.

Outside, Sansa walks among the soldiers, bowing to her, and looks away as she passes by dead men. Robb joins her and leads her to Stannis: he is in the middle of the battlefield, sit on a stone, wincing as she sees an arrow in his arm. He though stands up when he sees her, but Sansa curtseys elegantly:

"Your Grace" she greets him. "Thank you for saving me."

"I did not come here to save you, but to take what is mine, lady Stark. But I am grateful you are okay", he nods. The maester by his side takes the arrow off and he winces slightly. "Where is your sister?" he asks again, as the maester bandages his arm.

Sansa shakes her head:

"I have not seen her in months, my uncle. Since… father died…" she looks down and sighs.

"We will find her, child. Do not worry. Take some rest, now. You need it." He nods at Robb, who gives her to a soldier.

"Send a raven to Lord Tywin. Tell him we have his children as hostages, and that he needs to come and bend the knee to me, otherwise I shall kill them three."

He turns his face to the Lannister children, chained and looking down, except Cersei, glaring at him.

After they had left Riverrun, Robb and Aylis have joined Stannis in Dragonstone. From there, Stannis and his nephew-in-law had planned the attack on the capital. Stannis would attack by sea, Robb by land. The Lannisters would have not stood a chance. Robb had taken with him Jaime, and Stannis had argued lengthily about the fate of the Lannister bastards: Tyrion had hoped for Myrcella to be betrothed to Prince Trystane of Dorne, but no one had answered his messages. The Dornish fate remains mysterious. Stannis has claimed he would execute the children, but Aylis had begged him not to do so, that they were innocent of their parents' crime, and that the people would not approve this. Stannis is not looking for people's love, but he has to admit she is right on a point: they are innocent. And Shireen had always considered them as their cousins. Although, Stannis cannot let them live as before. He will reveal his will to Lord Tywin, when this one will get here. He turns to the Maester, ignoring Cersei's look: "Please, send a raven to my wife. Do not mention my injury, but tell her the battle is won and that she needs to join me here with the children". The maester nods, and walks away quickly.

It is dark when he ends up getting in the red Keep itself. He has seated on the Iron Throne of course, but now, he just wants to sleep. His arm aches, he barely can stand on his feet anymore, and he is covered in blood and dirt. He feels weird as he leans on the handle of the King's room and sees the bed. He can almost feel Robert's presence still. Somehow, he hopes he is proud of him. He would laugh and slam his injured arm: "Well played, little brother! You fucked those bloody Lannisters well!" Stannis allows himself to chuckle, imagining the scene. As he takes off his clothes, the pain in his arm wakes up and he calls at a servant. She gets in shaking like a leaf, and he asks her to get a bath ready for him. When she leaves, she is almost crying. He wonders what Cersei has told them so they are so afraid of him. That all his men would rape them, one after another? He is not Tywin. As he was walking in the city to get to the red Keep, he has seen one of his soldiers raping a young girl. Grabbing the man, he had sheathed Lightbringer, and cut the man's cock off. He could not stand rape. He has ordered the maester not to heal him and had left, the man whimpering in agony. When his bath is ready, he gets rid off his last clothes and gets in, his aching muscles making him wince. He washes himself carefully and looks around the room. Aylis would want to change everything, he thinks, and especially the bed. She would not want to sleep in a bed where Robert and Cersei have been. He smiles thinking about her, and closes his eyes. How he wished she would be here. He can see her face, right in front of him, smell her perfume.

Soon, they will be reunited.


	60. Chapter 60

_Dragonstone, 300 AC_

Aylis is sitting in her room, with Shireen by her side, Aistan and the twins playing joyfully on the carpet. Eyeing the boys, she focuses on Shireen, teaching her how to sew. The septa could do it, of course, but Aylis enjoys spending time with her children, especially since Stannis has left for the war. They had not received any news since that day. Stannis would not risk putting them more in danger, and his wife knew he would wait before telling her about the battle. When he has left, she had cried her eyes out, after the ships had disappeared on the sea. In front of him, she had remained strong, smiling, and confident. She knows his army is powerful, and his men are very loyal to him, but… who knows what could happen on a battlefield… Lost in her thoughts, she does not hear the door opening, and it's only when her children gasp that she looks up. For a very second, she thinks it is Stannis, coming back, but, how could it be him? She looks at the Red Woman, standing in front of her, smiling softly. Shireen has stopped sewing and is staring at the woman. The boys have turned quiet. They are all impressed with Melisandre. But Aylis is not fond of the woman. She remembers her face when Stannis has refused to take her with him to King's Landing. Melisandre has looked like she had received a slap in her face. Aylis, her, has been more than happy with this decision: she had not liked the idea of knowing her husband would spent days and nights with this strange, though gorgeous woman.

"Have you received a message from our King?" she asks with her foreign accent, which both amuses and exasperates Aylis. The Queen shakes her head:

"Nothing… Not yet…"

Melisandre sits down by her and pats her hand awkwardly.

"Stannis will prevail. I have seen it in the flames", she smiles again.

Aylis feels her look upon her and simply nods, before getting back to sewing. The look of Melisandre feels like burning the flesh of the Queen and she ends up staring back at the red priestess. Melisandre narrows her eyes and, for a second, Aylis thinks she is going to slap her. But, indeed, she smiles again, and says:

"It is strange that Stannis fell for you."

The hands of the Queen stop moving suddenly, and wrath rushes in her blood. How dare she disrespect her? She is her Queen, as much as Stannis is her King. Melisandre notices the angry look she gives to her and smiles:

"Don't misunderstand me… I am happy for you, for the King. A king needs heirs. He needs a wife who can give him strong and healthy children", her eyes wander on Shireen's cheek, and Aylis feels anger overwhelming her.

"Our children are perfect, Lady Melisandre", she spats aggressive.

The red woman does not seem to be offended by her tone:

"Of course they are", she whispers, glancing at the boys still playing on the ground. "That was not what I meant… I think… when we will be in King's Landing, that we should celebrate our King's victory" she says softly, stroking Aylis's hand. For a moment, Aylis imagines the scene, Melisandre and her, waiting for Stannis in his room. She could feel appealed by it, if she didn't imagine Stannis's face when he would come in. He would give her a disgusted look, and would walk away, and nothing would be the same between them again. She moves her hand away brutally and stands up:

"You don't know Stannis", she coldly tells Melisandre, before holding her hands out at her children. "Come". They quickly obey, and she is about to open the door when someone does it in her place and she faces Cressen, eyes filled with tears, a parchment in his hand. Aylis's heart skips a beat: "What is it, Maester?" she asks gasping. Silently, Cressen holds the parchment at her. She takes it with shaking hands and reads:

" _My Queen,_

 _Join me in King's Landing as soon as possible. Robert is avenged. Your people await you._

 _Stannis_ "

Simple words, but, to Aylis, they mean so much. A tear rolls on her cheek as she hugs Cressen tight.

 _King's Landing, 300 AC_

Surrounded by his most advised counselors, Stannis is listening to what will be his official council and his kingsguard. The letters will be sent all over the kingdom, so that his people know about it. Tywin has not come yet, but has sent back a message letting Stannis know he will be on his way. The perspective of having his three children killed has convinced the old lion to bend the knee to his winner.

"I, Stannis of House Baratheon, first of my name, King of Westeros, have chosen to be the members of my small council: Ser Davos Seaworth as Hand of the King; Lord Yohn Royce as Master of Laws; Lord Ardrian Celtigar as Master of Coin; Ser Imry Florent as Master of Ships; and Lady Melisandre of Ashai as Master of Whisperers."

The man looks at Stannis for his approval, and the King briefly nods. Renly looks down, nibbling on his lower lip: he has hoped to get his seat at the council back, but Stannis has explained him that he wanted the council to be as neutral and diverse as possible. He had chosen different lords from every part of the Realm, has rewarded the Vale and the Reach for their support in his war by appointing Lord Rhoyce and Ser Florent. In the Citadel, the Conclave is deciding who will be appointed as Grand Maester. Of course, Stannis has sent a letter supporting Cressen, but he doubts they will agree. They will probably think he is too close from him. Maester Pycelle was Joffrey's Grand Maester, but he has died during the attack of the city, probably from a heart attack. Stannis would not have kept him anyways. The man keeps reading:

"I, Stannis of House Baratheon, first of my name, King of Westeros, have chosen to be the members of my kingsguard: Ser Loras Tyrell, Ser Rolland Storm, Ser Godry Farring, Ser Ormund Wylde, Ser Corliss Penny and Ser Justin Massey. Their Lord Commander will be Ser Richard Horpe."

Again, Stannis nods. He continues reading:

"The different lands will be governed thereby: Lord Renly Baratheon will remain Lord of Storm's End, the Warden of the East will be Lord Robert Arryn. It is my choice to appoint Ser Davos Seaworth as Lord of Dragonstone. His eldest son Ser Dale Seaworth will rule Cape Wrath in his place. The Lordship of Highgarden as well as the wardship will remain Lord Mace Tyrell's, as well as Riverrun will remain Lord Edmure Tully's. Robb Stark keeps the Lordship of Winterfell as well as the title of Warden of the North."

Stannis approves:

"Good. We will wait for Lord Tywin's decision. If he bends the knee, I will grant him Casterly Rock and his title of Warden of the East. Tommen will be appointed as his heir. Joffrey and Ser Jaime Lannister the Kingslayer will be sent to the wall. I demand that the children born from this incest abandon the name of Baratheon. Any objections?"

No one says a word, the people around him nod approving of his decision.

"What about Lord Tyrion?" Renly asks.

"He has defended the city bravely", Stannis nods.

"Don't you think he has more legitimacy to be the heir of Tywin rather than Tommen?" he asks again. Some other men nod slightly.

"Tommen is still a boy. He still is malleable. I do not trust Lord Tyrion. He is a clever man, I know it very well, and this is why I am defying of him. I cannot send him to the Wall, he will be more of a burden for them than an asset…"

He stops talking, thinking lengthily about it. The whole room is silent, the men waiting for the King's decision. After a long moment, he says:

"Tommen will be sent to the Citadel, to become a Maester", he looks at his brother. Renly looks surprised but nods.

"And Tyrion?" he asks.

"Tyrion will be Tywin's heir. As he has always been", Stannis nods and the man quickly corrects the words he has written. Stannis dismisses the council, eager to see Tywin Lannister getting to the capital.

He is awakened a few days later by his servant, but it is not Tywin who is here: it is Aylis and the children. He welcomes them warmly, happy to have his family back by his side. A message arrives while they are chatting together, letting know Tywin will come the following morning.

 _Casterly Rock, a few weeks before_

"Tywin, be reasonable", Kevan pleads, staring at his older brother. "All my life, I have supported you. I have always been by your side. You are the elder; you get to decide the fate of our family. But, please, for the love of the Gods, for the love of this family, you must be reasonable."

Tywin stares back at his younger brother, pacing up and down in front of him. Stannis had won the Throne a few days ago, and a raven has flight from the Capital to warn Tywin Lannister. His children are all captives, his grandchildren as well. He needs to bend the knee to save them. Tywin is a proud man. He cannot stand seeing his family dragged in the mud. But, after all, what does Stannis do wrong? Tywin thinks he is even too soft, as for him, he would have beheaded the whole family. Tywin feels Stannis will not spare Cersei, to make an example of the King's justice. He does not reply to his brother. Lost in his thoughts, he tries, still, to find a solution, an issue to get away. But there are no ways to escape their fate, this time. The whole realm is united behind Stannis. Dorne is not, but will not rally Tywin, not after what he has done to Elia Martell. And, even if they would, what could they do against the hundreds of thousands of men Stannis has in his army… So, Tywin nods at Kevan:

"I will go to King's Landing, and try to save what can be saved"

Kevan nods, relieved, and walks out of the room.


	61. Chapter 61

_A/N: So sorry for the delay, guys, life has been hectic! Some smut in this chapter! Thanks for keeping reading XO_

 _King's Landing, 300 AC_

The official coronation has occurred at dawn, and, now the sun has set in the sky, Aylis is walking to the throne room. She smiles slightly remembering about the ceremony, and tears suddenly fill her eyes when she sees Edmure walking her down the aisle. It should have been her father, it should have been Lord Hoster… She suddenly wonders if he knew when he betrothed her to Stannis, if he knew about her fate. Did he think she would become Queen? No, of course not, how could he? Robert was sure to father children, and, back then, he was promised to Lyanna. This doesn't matter anyways: she is the Queen now. She closes her eyes as a delicious shiver runs up and down her spine, just like when the Septon declared their new titles, to her and Stannis. Seeing her husband beautifully dressed up, with the golden crown on his head, had turned her on a lot. Now, she is wandering around the castle, the children are asleep, but in her blood runs a mad feeling, her heart can't stop racing in her chest, and she cannot find sleep, of course. To the excitement of the coronation adds the fear for tomorrow's meeting, as Lord Tywin is supposed to reach the capital then. She feels cold suddenly, and wraps her arms around herself, gently stroking her skin, but she knows it has nothing to do with the soft wind blowing tonight. She ends up reaching the big wooden door of the throne's room and she gets in, looking around to find her husband. When she sees him, a brutal belly pang knots her stomach and she gasps slightly with pain. Stannis, sit on the Iron Throne, turns to her surprised:

"Aylis? What are you doing here, you should be in bed."

The queen shrugs her shoulders as she walks to face the throne:

"I could not find sleep. I was missing you", she slightly pouts.

"I am coming soon. Go to bed, you need to rest", he says, looking at her.

She frowns slightly: he sounds distant and almost sad, when he should be the happiest man in the world. She stares at him, his beard he had let grow since he got into this war, the eyes, still so beautiful to her, and his hands… again, she shivers, this time with desire, and, out of the blue, she slides the straps of her dress off her shoulders. The fabric makes a very erotic sound as it falls on the floor. The cold of the room strikes her, her whole body gets gooseflesh and her nipples harden violently, almost hurting her. Stannis stares at her:

"What are you doing?" he asks in a murmur.

She does not reply, walks up the stairs that lead to the throne, and she stands in front of him, naked. He does not react, he just looks at her, and she leans down to kiss him. He barely replies, but she sits on his lap and deepens the kiss, almost forcing him to. "My King", she soughs in his ear as her hands run to his breeches, quickly unlacing them, her hips already swaying on his crotch. Stannis closes his eyes, excitement overwhelming him but, still, he wonders if it is a good idea, what if someone comes in? A guard, Ser Davos? But Aylis does not seem to care and he gasps pretty loudly when she guides him in her slit. Immediately, she starts bouncing hard and, unable to restrain himself, Stannis cups her breasts and sucks her hard nipples intently, letting her move on him. She squeals her approbation, and he runs his lips to her neck, burying himself in her wetness, and his face in her scent. He grinds his teeth hard while he's in her, first, to not be too noisy, and because he aches a bit, grinding against the throne. Aylis is totally unleashed, and he feels his bare skin digging into the throne. He bites her shoulder so hard she squeals with pain, but he cannot help it and suddenly comes in her, before she reaches her climax, and pushes her away pretty violently. He quickly stands up and runs away to their room, where he dives in a bathtub.

The following morning, Stannis sits on the throne, Aylis at his side, and they both are watching Lord Tywin walking to them. Aylis swallows hard and her hand on Aistan's shoulder tightens its embrace. The little boy stares at the man reaching them: he has loved Tywin, as he could have loved a grandfather. Closely watched over by the kingsguards, Tywin's children look at their father. The old Lord had no other choice but coming. But he is not a man who would beg for his children's lives. He is willing to acknowledge Stannis's kingship, as he would not find any ally to rebel against him, but he knows Stannis is going to ask for an important prize, and that nothing he could say would change his mind. Stannis stops him as he walks, to make him understand he wants him to stop there. Jaime tries to catch his attention, but Tywin remains ignorant, staring at the King.

"I made you come here because you are the head of the Lannister house, Lord Tywin", Stannis says. Tywin keeps staring at him, listening. The king goes on: "But I cannot ignore the crimes of your children. Your daughter has murdered my brother, as well as Jon Arryn. Your first born son is accomplice. They deserve a punishment: Whether you bend the knee or not, Jaime will be send to the Wall, and Cersei will be on trial for these accusations. If she is found guilty, she will be executed."

"No!" the voice of Jamie rings out in the room. Shattered by the words of the king, he leans his hand on Tyrion's shoulder, squeezing it hard. Cersei, her, glares at him, as if he was embarrassing her. Tywin had not reacted to Stannis's words. He is not even shocked, indeed. He knows it was bound to happen, he knows who Cersei is. If only Joanna had lived, nothing of this would have happened. Stannis keeps talking:

"Your son Tyrion will become your heir, and I demand that Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen abandon the name 'Baratheon'. They are not Baratheons. Joffrey will be sent to the Wall, Myrcella to the Silent Sisters, Tommen to the Citadel to become a Maester", he grinds his teeth as he finishes. "If you refuse those terms, you're welcome to leave. But I will fight you, and destroy you. The Lannisters will be all killed. What is your answer?"

Only then, tywin allows himself to look at his children. But instead of staring at his twins, he looks at Tyrion.

"Tyrion will need a wife and heirs", Tywin avoids the question.

"Of course", Stannis nods. "He will."

Tywin nods slightly and, slowly, bends the knee to Stannis. Cersei gives him a disgusted look, and Jamie looks down, while Tyrion stares incredulous at his father. He thought the image of him ruling Casterly Rock would have been so hateful for his father that he would have chosen to fight, but, obviously, Tyrion does not know his father as good as he thinks. Stannis looks at Tywin, feeling weirdly relieved. He did not want to take his soldiers into another war, especially since he had news from Essos, where Daenerys had met a young man calling himself Aegon, the son of Aerys, the baby whose skull had been crashed against a wall. And Daenerys has three dragons. Tywin's bending the knee is just a problem solved. Stannis has lot of bigger problems than him. But, he must acknowledge the decision Tywin has taken. It would have cost him to destroy one of the greatest houses of Westeros. It has never been his goal. He nods slightly at Tywin, and dismisses him, before ordering to take Cersei back to her cell, to free Tyrion, and to send Jaime to the Wall immediately. Stannis wants him to be gone when the trial of Cersei will occur, just in case she asks for a trial by combat. When they are alone, he turns to Aylis and Aistan: they both are very pale, the little boy probably shocked by everything that happened but Stannis must teach him how to rule: the little boy may have to rule way sooner than expected, even tho Stannis has no will to die soon; But he knows, as every soldier, that no one can predict a battle. He smiles a bit, reassuring Aistan, and runs a hand in his hair but the boy moves away brutally and runs out. Aylis tries to run after him, but Stannis grabs his arm:

"No, leave him. He needs to be alone."

Aylis looks down and sighs wearily, pecks his lips and walks out too. Stannis watches her leave and sighs too. He has always known the power was poisonous, but he still hopes it will not influence his relationship with his wife. Davos comes in suddenly and Stannis, happy to think about something else, asks him what is going on. Davos gives him a few letters from his spies in Essos, and Stannis's thoughts focus on the silver-haired young girl who threatens what he has just started to build.


	62. Chapter 62

_Hello guys,_

 _I wanted to say I am so so sorry that I haven't updated earlier. Thank you for having waited and hope you'll enjoy this_

 _King's Landing, 301 AC_

"Please, please", she is beseeching, her hands clenching on his chest, his arms. The King looks down at his wife, her eyes filled with tears could soften him up, but he must not cede to her. He grabs her wrists, firmly, but not brutally, and he makes her take a few steps back. They are alone in their chambers, and he has just told her that she needs to leave the capital, to join her brother in Riverrun. Aylis is pregnant with a new child, and Daenerys and Aegon's threat has become more serious than ever. Many of Stannis's spies in Essos have told him they had managed to get a fleet and Daenerys has convinced the Dothrakis to cross the sea. When he has known, Stannis has felt his stomach knotting painfully: he knows the value of those warriors, and the harm they could do to his people, to his family. This is when he has decided to take them away from King's Landing. Riverrun is closer from Winterfell and if the capital falls, that Stannis is killed, Aylis and the children could reach the forces of the North easily. But, as usual, Aylis is complicating things. She has first yelled, punched his chest, and finally beseeched him. She keeps crying now, the rays of sunshine breaking through the window, lighting up her face, projecting on the wall the shadow of her huge bump. Stannis watches her, her shoulders shattering with her sobs, her eyes shining with tears. He feels bad, so bad, he hates seeing her cry, he feels like someone has torn his heart out of his chest and has stabbed him a hundred times. He has no choice: he cannot risk her life. She is the Queen, she can rule without him. She should know she can, but Aylis has never imagined her life without him. She has feared every battle he has fought, and has always thought she would join him if he has to die. Even with the children, whom she loves with her whole heart, she cannot imagine living, surviving without Stannis. He is her everything. He has given her everything.

After long minutes, she feels, at least, her husband's hand on her shoulder, squeezing it comfortingly, and a chuckle blurts out among sobs, a despaired chuckle. Stannis wraps his arms around her, as to protect, as to make her realize he will always be here for her.

"I am sorry", he whispers in her ear. "I cannot fight well if I worry about you. I will need to focus on the battle… Aylis, if… if the Dothrakis take the town…"

"Please, please don't!" she gasps in fear. She has heard too many stories about the Dothrakis.

Stannis turns her around to face her:

"If they take the town, they will burn every house, kill every man, every child, and rape every woman, one after another. I do not want that for my people and I am sure you do not want that either" he says softly, wiping her tears away. She nods slowly, knowing that what he says is the bare truth. A horrific shivers runs up and down her spine, and she snuggles in Stannis's chest. He leans her head on her hair, and slightly kisses her hair:

"And what about the people, the small folks?" she asks in a whisper.

"I will order the city to leave. The only people the Dothrakis should meet here are the soldiers. The dragons will destroy most of the city I guess, but Lady Melisandre has thought of a machine to take the dragons down", he says, remembering she has told her about fishermen who are using big harpoons to hunt very strange animals in the sea. She had worked with blacksmiths and they ended up having a dangerous weapon to use against Daenerys. After checking its efficiency, Stannis has ordered that the blacksmiths forge them as many as they can. "The whole realm is with me", he says again. "No one wants to see the Dothrakis sack their lands. I do not want you to be afraid. You need to be strong, for me, and for them", he says, placing his hand on her bump, smiling slightly as he feels the baby kicking. Aylis nods slowly: will they ever live a time of peace? No wars, no battles, just her family living happy and safe. She smiles bitterly: what did she think? She lives in Westeros, where murderers are seen as heroes, and good men seen as weak. She wonders if there is a place in this world, where her husband will be loved and respected as much as she does, as much as he deserves it. The people of King's Landing do not really love Stannis. Aylis is way more popular. They are happy that they get rid of the Lannisters but, they still think Stannis is moody and not loveable. The fact that he is ready to sacrifice his life to save them is not enough. Her face buried in his neck, she feels the urge, the sudden urge to show him how much she loves him, to make him feel the bliss she feels when she sees him. She closes her eyes, her lips running on his neck. He lets out a very light sigh, and she licks his Adam's apple. She would like to hickey him, but she cannot, it would show too much there. Her hands grope his butt, sticking his body against hers. He gives her a burning look, and kisses her suddenly. He rolls her dress up feverishly, his hands shaking with arousal, finding the soft and burning skin. He suddenly stops, just as Aylis is unbuttoning his breeches.

"Are you sure we can do this?" he whispers, not daring anger her. She simply nods:

"I am fine, and your heir is fine too."

Before he can nod or say something, she has gotten on her knees and her mouth has taken his member. The violence of the pleasure makes him stumble and he leans a hand against the wall, the other one stroking Aylis's hair. He stares at her, and she stares back at him. His feelings are mixed, he is very excited by what she is doing, and somehow disgusted as well. This is not something ladies do, let alone Queens. He groans as pleasure sharpens and he imagines suddenly Robert, laughing and slamming his back as he used to do: "Come on brother! Enjoy it! She is pretty good, from what I can see."

Stannis pales and shakes his head to chase those awful thoughts. He tries to concentrate on Aylis but it is useless. He pulls out and helps her standing up again, taking her dress off, revealing her gorgeous naked body, the milky skin, the pink and hard nipples, the swollen breasts, ready to feed his son, and, down, the dark bush protecting her intimacy. She looks so strong and so frail at the same time. He keeps staring at her before Aylis movements chase this thoughtful look away: she has lied down on the bed, her long hair spreading over the pillows, her legs spread, offering herself to him, her husband, her king. He slowly undresses and joins her, but staying at the edge of the bed. He wraps his arms around her legs and suddenly, he pulls her very close from him. She squeals, half surprised, half delighted and she runs her hands in his hair. "Yes", she sighs in advance and giggles as Stannis slowly blows on her sex. She shivers violently, and her nipples harden, even more when he gives her a very long lick. Aylis arches her back violently, her eyes shutting tight because of the pleasure she feels. She feels Stannis's hands slipping under her back, his hot tongue exploring her, the sounds he's making both exciting and embarrassing. Her fists clench on the sheets, her head laying back, her lips parting to let moans escaping. Her hands run through Stannis' hair, too short to let her grab it. She had loved his hair from the second she has seen it, and she loves seeing it in each of her children. Her pleasure reaches its peak so fast she is surprised herself. Stannis smirks proudly, and Aylis pulls him close: "I love you", she says desperately. "I love you too" he whispers and thrusts in her. Aylis and he look at each other, before bursting out laughing: the bump is so big it prevents Stannis from getting in. Aylis quickly grabs his hand and pulls him to the top of the bed. Stannis lies by her and she turns her back at him, although she goes on looking at him. Stannis lies on his side and slowly guides himself in her. He closes his eyes with ecstasy, and makes love to her, slow and sweet, stroking her a lot. When they both come, he is so overwhelmed by everything that happened, the war councils, this tough decision he has to take, the great pleasure he has just experienced, that he just closes his eyes and doesn't open them again. The first snore makes Aylis chuckle and she moves away, his cock slipping out of her. Stannis groans slightly and she snuggles against him, finally falling asleep with her husband.


	63. Chapter 63

Dragonstone, 301 AC

The storm is raging when Daenerys and Aegon can see the coasts of Westeros. Daenerys' heart hammers in her chest: finally, home. A smile roves on her perfect lips. Aegon, by her side, stares at the coasts, a hand on his sword. Behind them, the Dothrakis make terrible sounds as their guts reject anything they have eaten or drank. Disgusted by the smell, Daenerys walks to the edge of the ship, smelling the pleasant perfume of the sprays. Aegon joins her:

"The men need to rest" he tells her with his soft but firm voice. She looks at the one who became her husband d in Essos, not that long ago. She does not think she would ever love him, but he has given her support and legitimacy. He should have ruled, after his father Rhaegar. But he will rule now. Or more, they will rule together. Aegon is already riding Rhaegal. Drogon will always be Daenerys's. And Viserion is like Viserys: it is impossible to understand him, and Daenerys thinks he is even wilder than Drogon. The time when she has to lock them up has shocked him deeply. She looks back at the sea:

"We cannot lose time"

"The Dothrakis are exhausted", Aegon protests. "They need to eat and drink" he repeats.

Daenerys' stubbornness has always driven him mad. That and her obsession for power. She although nods and Aegon orders to sail to Dragonstone, their ancestral land. They will take what is theirs, with fire and blood.

Maester Cressen is the first one to notice the sails, betrayed by the lightning in the sky. He cannot count how many ships there are. He is supposed to leave to Riverrun in the morning, where his Queen is going to deliver a new prince very soon. But, tonight, he needs to wake Ser Davos up, the new lord of Dragonstone, appointed by Stannis after his victory in King's Landing. He runs to his chambers, as fast as his old legs allow him to, and he pounds on the door. Davos wakes up with a start, and goes open: Cressen is out of breath but he manages to say: "They're here". Davos understands immediately. He hastily leaves to get his armor and turns to Cressen "Leave to Riverrun. Immediately. The Queen needs you."

"But", Cressen protests "Stannis must be warned"

"He will be", Davos leans a hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry. Leave now."

Cressen nods and walks away. Davos goes wake the men up and tries to not make them panic. They are alright, until they hear a dragon screeching. Davos swallows hard, closes his eyes, and prays silently. _Mother, protect me. Warrior, give me the strength to serve my King and my realm. Father, protect my Lord and savior._ He blesses the fact that his sons are far from him at this moment. He quickly kisses his leather pouch and joins his men. The dragons are screeching, some soldiers place their hands on their ears and whimper or scream with fear. Davos does his best to gather his courage and supports them, comforts them, hits their shield with his sword. They run to the battlements, where the men in charge of the catapults start using them. Stannis has never liked the idea, but he had made Davos the lord of Dragonstone. It is his land now, and he has grown fond of it. He has studied the sea carefully, sailed almost every day on it: Dragonstone would be difficult to take, moreover with a storm night like this one. He orders the men to get ready to attack Daenerys' fleet. The men dig their arrows in oil, ready to set them on fire. As he stands on the battlement, he orders part of them men to join their boats. Davos tries hard to focus on the battle: the yells of the Dothrakis ring out, and he can see Unsullied soldiers as well. But that's all: Daenerys has no force from Westeros. In Highgarden, Olenna Tyrell has although foreseen a rebellion. She has even sent troops by ships, but they have been stopped by Stannis after Lord Tyrell and Robb Stark have warned him. Somehow, with Margaery's wedding with Robb, the Tyrells have become part of Stannis' family. Lord Mace has begged Stannis to spare his mother, tears in his eyes. Stannis could not possibly kill Lady Olenna, so he has chosen to send her to the Silent Sisters, despite her age. The Tyrells have remained loyal to him.

"My Lord, your orders?" a young soldier looks at Davos hopeful.

The dragons are getting dangerously close and Davos says very calmly:

"Aim the wings. Fire the catapults. Arrows on the ships."

The young soldier yells these orders and there is suddenly a brief silence, just after the order, when Davos can only hear the waves crashing on the rock where Dragonstone was founded. He looks around, he sees the waves getting bigger and bigger, and lighting so violent it looks like it is noon. Then, the light whistles of the arrows pierce the night. And, finally, the deafening sound of the ships crushed by the heavy stones of the catapults. Davos looks down, to see one of the ships sinking, the Dothrakis yelling with fear, their horses neighing. He smirks proud but suddenly, yell makes him startle. The dragons have been infuriated with the arrows and if the green one flies away quickly, despite Daenerys yelling his name, the two others, with their masters on the back, fly dangerously closer from Davos's men.

"Catapult!" he yells as he can see his fleet attacking Daenerys. "Use the catapult against the dragons!" he urges his men. Some are quick, and a huge stone hit Rhaegal's face quite hard, making him squeal. Others are too slow and Drogon gets dozens of them with a sole strike of his tail. Men yell with fear, and Davos tries his best to gather them together. He grabs a spear and throws it on Drogon's flank, making him screech and flying away. Daenerys flinches and he thinks, for a second, that she is going to fall. But she holds on, and Drogon flies away, Rhaegal following him. Aegon flies by Daenerys:

"We need to leave!" he points at the fleet already sailing away because of Davos' men. "If they sink our ships, we're lost!" he yells.

Daenerys glares at him, but keeps flying away from the battle. Davos' men cheer, even more when they see Daenerys army sailing away. Dragonstone's fleet chases them, but soon sail back to the castle. Davos, exhausted, sighs with relief but knows that Daenerys and Aegon are certainly not sailing back to Essos. He needs to warn Stannis, as soon as possible. He orders soldiers to take care of the injured people and the dead.

Cressen is riding as fast as he can, his heart beating violently in his chest. His horse is neighing with protest but Cressen cannot stop spurring it. They need to reach Riverrun as fast as possible and as far as possible they will be from the battle, the best. He turns his head back to Dragonstone; he can hear the screeching of the dragons, the screams of the soldiers dying, and the ships crashing violently against each others. He looks back at the road sadly and tries to remember the times of peace and happiness he has lived with Stannis. Somehow, he misses Stannis's childhood, the happy times when Steffon and Cassana were still alive, and when Stannis would show up for his lessons early, when Robert was always late. And still, he is happy to know Aylis, and their children: the sweet Shireen, the secretive Aistan, the bubbly Doryos, and the warrior Oryos. He spurs his horse again, but, suddenly, the animal neighs with fear. Cressen turns his head around and his eyes widen with horror when he meets Viserion's eyes. He mutters "Forgive me, Stannis" before the dragon opens his mouth. No sound is heard, except for the noise of the jaws closing upon horse and rider.


	64. Chapter 64

_King's Landing, 302 AC_

When Davos tells him about Cressen, his voice shaking, Stanis just stares at him for a long moment. Cressen, dead? He does not even believe it. It cannot be true. He needs Cressen, his wife needs Cressen. Who is going to deliver the baby if not him? The battle in Dragonstone has been a loss of time: only five of Daenerys' ships have been destroyed, and the dragons killed many of Stannis men. Davos observes his king, slightly afraid: the news of Cressen's death has shocked many people. The old master was well loved. But he knows Stannis has been the closest from him, and Cressen has been like a father to the King. Just like when he has seen his parents sink, Stannis remains silent, his eyes staring at an invisible point. "Go back to Dragonstone", he orders Davos before leaving the room. Davos has not even time to protest. The king walks quickly to his chambers. Davos does not try to hold him back. Stannis sits behind his desk and tries to organize the battle. He manages to do it, even if most things are ready: the men, the battlements. Melisandre has thought about something for the dragons, which look like arrows, but 400 inches long and weighing two hundred pounds. Made in iron, they have been forged and sharpened to cut as much as a razor blade. Stannis has ordered that they would be placed all around the battlements. He works until it is too dark and that he needs to lighten a candle up. His eyes itching, he lays his head back and sighs wearily, closing his eyes. He imagines he is in Riverrun, he can almost smell the fresh grass, he can see the huge stones forming the castle, he can hear the grating of the drawbridge men would lower so he would come in. And, of course, he sees Aylis, on a white bed. She would wear a white nightgown, and her fists would be grabbing the sheets. He would walk by her and take her hand. He would reassure her and tell her everything will be alright. He sees himself glancing at the huge baby bump, checking on the maids, and he would smile when he sees Cressen coming in. In his chambers, he suddenly bites his lip hard, so hard it aches but it is useless. He cannot stop the tears from falling on his cheeks, burning his eyes and giving a bittersweet taste to his saliva. Here, in the middle of the night, alone, he allows himself to weep over Cressen. He lets his feelings go, he does not hold back the loud sobs, the shaking of his body, the pain in his stomach. He just leans down on his desk and hides his face in the crooks of his arms. He does not know how long he stays here, but he suddenly feels a hand, sweet hands on his hair, stroking it very gently. He looks up and, for a split second, he thinks it is Aylis. He can see her, smiling down at him. But it cannot be his wife: she is in Riverrun, miles away from him. He blinks, and stares at Melisandre standing by his side. He suddenly stands up, and spats "Can't you knock before coming in?!", moving away from her touch. Melisandre does not seem outraged, or shocked by the King's reaction. She walks behind the chair and stands back by his side, and strokes his hair again. Stannis cannot help but thinking it is very pleasant. He is tired, upset, and sad. He just wishes he could indulge in this moment. "You do not have to share this alone", Melisandre whispers in his ear, with her weird accent and her sweet voice. "I am alone", he retorts, not in a nasty way though. He sits back in his chair, or rather falls in it, exhausted. He ragingly wipes his eyes. He hears sounds of clothes and, suddenly, Melisandre sits on him. He looks at her face outraged then glances at her naked body before looking away, red with embarrassment. "You are not alone" she slurs and puts his hand on her naked breast. He gasps and takes it off.

"What are you doing? I am married. I am your King."

She smiles softly:

"And I love my King…"

She leans down to kiss his lips but he grabs her arms:

"You are a very useful and clever advisor but… no… not that."

He pushes her away, just enough so he can leave the chair quickly. He looks at her:

"Have you lost your mind? We are at war, your Queen is probably having my son right now, and you…."

Melisandre walks to him, still naked, her skin white as milk, her breasts full and gorgeous, her nipples sticking out to him. Stannis looks away: he cannot deny her beauty but he loves Aylis and he is a faithful man.

"Dress up now", he orders. "Or I chase you from the court", he threatens.

The red woman laughs heartily:

"So I run to Daenerys and tells her all about your secrets?"

Stannis pales and narrows his eyes:

"How dare you?!"

Suddenly, the words Aylis has used towards Melisandre come back to him and are as painful as a slap in his face: she has never trusted her, and, obviously, she was right.

He shouts:

"Guards!"

Melisandre hastily ties her dress back together and the door opens, not on a guard, but on Davos. He looks at Stannis, then at Melisandre, not understanding what she is doing here. Stannis spats:

"I have asked you to go back to Dragonstone. Have you become deaf, Ser Davos?"

"I was about to, my King", Davos protests. "But…." He holds two parchments in his hand.

Stannis reaches for him:

"What are those?"

"One is from Riverrun, your Grace… the other…. From the Night's Watch…."

His heart hammering in his chest, he snatches the two out of Davos'hands. He hastily takes the one with Aylis's handwriting:

"My beloved husband,

A healthy girl has joined our family last night. Cressen had not reached Riverrun in time but I am sure, as soon as he is here, that he will take good care of us. The children are delighted. We all miss you a lot.

Love,

Your wife."

He loses the smile that has appeared on his lips when she mentions Cressen. Poor child has not known about his death. He grabs the second one:

"Letter to King Stannis, first of his name, King of the Andals and the First men,, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms, and Protector of the Realm.

The Night's watch implores you to heed our warnings. Winter is coming, but not as we have seen for hundreds of years past. Only one man has returned from North of the Wall, the only man left from my company of brothers with news of sights I never thought to report. The White Walkers have risen again and they ride through the northern lands beyond the Wall, taking our fallen and making their own kind. An army of the dead marches forth hundred, perhaps thousands, who can only be killed by fire. Prepare your defenses my Lord. They are coming."

The letter was signed from a shaking hand: Aemon, Maester of the Night's watch, Castleblack.

Stannis held back a loud sigh, gave the letter to Davos so he reads it, now he had learnt how to read, and turned to Melisandre as guards finally arrived.

"Lock her in the cells", he says, and Melisandre's eyes burn with anger and hatred as the guards take her away from the room.


	65. Chapter 65

_King's Landing, 302 AC_

« We need to seriously think about what my brother is doing! » Renly shouts in the silent room. Stannis glares up at him, and the young Lord looks down and sits back on his comfy chair. The King has gathered the council as well as Lords who could make it to the Capital during those trouble days. Renly has been one of the quickest to show his support, but Stannis knows he has a very different opinion on things. All eyes are on him now, as he firmly stands up:

"You know I am not a king who ignores or despises the members of my council. I respect each and every one of you, of your advice, which is why I have decided to ask you to vote, in all good conscience. Do not fear upsetting me, and please do not try to vote as you think I would. Do you agree?"

The Lords and Knights nod serious. Stannis stares at them:

"Who thinks we should abandon King's Landing and leave to the Wall to save the Night's Watch?"

Immediately, the mutilated hand of Ser Davos raises. Melisandre's hand follows, shyly. Stannis has no time to replace her, and her vote is needed. Ser Richard Horpe raises his hand too, as well as Lord Royce. Others have taken his boy, years ago. Stannis stares from another hand and sighs: they are eight in the room. Four have voted for the Watch.

"Who votes to stay in King's Landing?" he asks again. Renly is the first to approve, immediately followed by Loras, supposing to be bringing his father's voice. Stannis would have preferred Willas, but Lord Tyrell has told him he has complete trust in Loras' judgment. And, of course, Loras would vote like Renly. The two others voting are Lord Celtigar and Ser Florent.

"Very well…;" Stannis cannot help grinding his teeth. He stands there, the cold gold on his head weighing more than ever. He would give everything he has to become again Lord Stannis, a simple commander obeying his brother. Last time he has to face such a moral struggle was during the Rebellion. Felling their looks upon him, he walks to the windoa and looks over the city. His city. Since he has become King, he has started numerous projects: Tyrion Lannister has thought of a way to clean the city up. He could not have come, his father neither. Stannis has still trouble trusting them but he will need their soldiers, sooner or later. The King doubts, as he has doubted his whole life. Aylis is not here to comfort him, to advice him, to listen to him ranting about everything and anything. He closes his eyes a second, smelling the scent of the town, filled with different essences: the fishes freshly caught, the bakeries' bread, the fruits and vegetables these people have learned to make grow, the scent of the cows, sheeps, goats guided by their shepherds through the city. How could he let them down, promising them to the most hurtful death at Daenerys' hands? But, still, how could he ignore the Watch's message? He suddenly realizes he cannot choose between these parts of his realm: if the Wall falls, Westeros is lost. If King's Landing falls, Westeros is lost. The choice has suddenly turned into a very simple thing: there will be no choice at all. He joins his hands behind his back:

"Ser Davos!" he calls.

The Knight immediately walks to him:

"Your Grace?"

"Send this message to the realm: the Night's Watch is threatened by the worst forces we could imagine. I will need of each house's half of men to fight them."

Davos nods slightly:

"Half?" he suddenly voices.

"The other half will help you defend the Capital" Stannis turns to him.

"Me?" Davos gasps.

"Him?!" Renly blurts. "I am your brother, I should be the one defending the city!" he protests.

"Ser Davos is my Hand", Stannis turns to him. "But not only. He is my tongue, my eyes and my ears. How and why are you more legitimate? Stannis starts growling angrily.

"He has never fought", Renly argues. "He almost lost Dragonstone! Cressen has died because of him!" Renly does not get flustered.

Stannis cracks a smile, a sarcastic one, and takes a few steps to Renly, slowly saying:

"It it because your face is stuck so deep into Loras's arse that your mouth is covered with crap?!"

He has talked very softly at first, but has yelled the last few words. Renly reddens intently and flinches slightly. He looks at Loras who shakes his head discreetly:

"As my King commands", Renly bows and swallows hard.

Davos looks at Stannis, a proud happiness filling his heart and warming it up. The support of Stannis has always meant the world to him. The Kind dismisses everyone except Melisandre and he wraps an arm around Davos's shoulders and whispers so he is the only one to hear:

"I trust you, Davos, but my brother is right. You are not a soldier, but I know you realize your worth. Do not disappoint me, do not lose this bloody town, because if you do, it will not be the only thing you will lose."Davos nods, swallowing hard, and bos respectfully before leaving. Melisandre stands there, a smile roving on her lips. A smile that vanishes when the King orders the guards to take her back to her cell. She tries to catch her King's look, but Stannis stubbornly stares at the city. It is only when he is sure she has left that he stares at her empty chair.

The Red Woman is sitting alone in her cell, staring at the weak flames that cast a small shadow on the humid stones of the wall. She can hear the waves crashing on the rocks and she closes her eyes, letting her heart taking up the pace of the waves. A noise she doesn't expect makes her open her eyes and a smirk appears on her lips: boots clacking on the damp stones. She would recognise this noise between , she remains sitting on the Spartan bed that is her only distraction since she has been locked up here. The boots get closer and closer, ending up stopping clacking. She stares at the flames, hoping for a sign from her god. The fire seems to intensify suddenly and she parts her lips:

"Have you come to say farewell, my King?"

Behind the bars, Stannis swallows hard.

"How did you know it was me?"

The pale face shines with a smile and a laugh rings out in the cell:

"Who else would visit me here? Even the guard who has to feed me is terrified by me and does not speak to me."

Melisandre turns her head to her king: she is not surprised by the way he treats her, just disappointed. Terribly disappointed. Stannis holds her look back:

"I need you..."

She startled at these words: has he ended up being reasonable? She folds her legs back and stands up, taking steps to him. She wraps her hands around two bars and stares at him:

"You need to give all of yourself to R'hllor" she purrs like a she-cat.

Stannis, on the contrary, takes a step backwards. Damn her and her bewitching ways.

"Silence, woman. You have sworn to serve me, and now I am telling you will serve me. I will need magic at the Wall, and I know you have power. You will accompany me", he asserts and immediately turns around to leave.

"My King!" She calls at him and he sighs before looking back at her. Her eyes are red, red like a setting sun, red like her dress, like her hair.

"What?" He growls.

"You cannot have my powers as long as you have not given yourself to the Lord of Light. I am very serious. War implies sacrifice. Will you forget your duty because you do not want to sacrifice something?" She mysteriously says. Stannis stares at her for a long moment and looks at the light shining at the exit of the dungeon. He could leave now, and let her rot here until they leave, but he cannot. He knows he will not find sleep until she tells him exactly what he needs to do. His eyes meet hers again:

"What do I do?" He simply asked and the triumphant smile she has makes him freeze and shiver violently.

"I can give you a son" she says just as mysteriously. Stannis scowls at her: has she lost her mind?

"I already have sons" he reminds her.

She laughs heartily:

"A son worthy of you. A son more murderous than any army in this world. A son who will obey any of your will."

She says those words with such passion and fever Stannis is taken aback and does not know what to answer. Melisandre lets the bars go and unlaces the little piece of cloth holding her dress together, and reveals to her King the power of her immaculate body. She leans on the bars, her nipples sticking out at the fresh air. Stannis stares at her for a second before looking away ashamed.

"But..." she says in a very seductive voice. "A son needs to be conceived"

"Cover yourself" he orders.

"My King..." she starts but he interrupts her.

"I have heard you, Lady Melisandre. I will talk to your suggestion to the Queen."

The passion of her eyes is replaced with fury.

"She cannot understand what is at stake!" She exclaims.

Stannis looks at her lengthily and walks away. Before he is too far to be heard, he announces:

"We leave for Riverrun in three days."

Before she can even answer, he has already disappeared. Melisandre sighs and closes her eyes, praying to her God. Turning to the flames, she sees something in it and gets closer with a frown. Fascinated, she slowly laces her dress up before smiling wider and wider at the images her God is sending to her.

Stannis climbs silently the marches that lead him from the dampness of the cells to the beauty of the Red Keep. He passes by servants and guards, greeting them with a slight nod. With Aylis, he has learnt how to be more affable, but sometimes, his nature gets back on top. He feels lonely here, despite the numerous counsellors he has, despite the Small Council. He misses Aylis, every day that passes tortures him more. He gets in his chambers and immediately gets rid off his clothes, washes himself with a flannel and turns his head to his bed, cold and way too big for him. Soon, he will be with his wife, he will see his daughter, and he will talk to her about the Red Woman. Melisandre, a little voice in his head makes. She has a name, she is not a slave. How will Aylis react when he will tell her he needs to conceive a son with her? He plops on his bed and rubs his face in his hands. He dreads the moment when everyone will know about Melisandre's power: how will people react about him? He grinds his teeth. Damn them. They will never know the immense weight that he carries through this simple golden crown that stands by his bed. A King cannot content everyone, and needs to take the most crucial decisions for his realm. But Stannis is also well served by his Hand, and the small council he has chosen gives him satisfaction. He is tortured by doubts and fear, of course, but somehow, he knows he can sleep quietly. His last thoughts before drifting off to a dreamless sleep go to Renly, and the brat's reaction he had at the meeting. He should know better and starts thinking about making a son to his wife, instead of sulking like a little boy who would not get the new toy he wants. Stannis has hoped his marriage with Talla Tarly would have drift him away from Loras but he has very quickly realised it would never be the case. The years have passed and Tarla has not conceived a child yet, spreading rumours about Renly and Loras, who have not been very discreet either. Stannis remembers how pale Renly has turned when he has told him about his intentions of marrying him. On the spot, Renly has explained himself with the refusal to marry the daughter of an enemy. Or rather a previous one. Stannis has told him the Tarlys have stopped being their enemy when they have bent the knee to him. He knows now it has been a trick, that Renly has not cared about her name, he just wanted to stay single. But a Lord as important cannot stay single. And Tarla would never outshine him. She is the best one for him. Stannis promises himself to talk to Renly before he leaves, and closes his eyes, letting tiredness and weariness taking the most of him.

The day they leave for Riverrun, Stannis leaves to Renly's chambers: the young Lord will go back to Storm's End, and will send half of his army to King's Landing, and the other half to join Stannis on his way to the wall. The Gods know how many men will return from the battles… Thoughtful, Stannis places a light knock on his door and waits for Renly to allow him to come in. Instead, the door opens on a pale Renly, pale as if he has seen a ghost.

"What do you want?" he asks wearily. He clearly does not want to see Stannis. The King clenches his jaw and says as nicely as possible:

"I came to talk to you about Loras…"

Renly makes him getting in and closes the door. Stannis starts:

"You are my brother, you are my blood and I can understand…"

Renly stops him with a gesture of his hand.

"Talla is with child" he says with the same tone he would take to announce someone's death.

Stannis startles but sincerely says:

"Congratulations. I wish you a son."

 _Loras and I could choose the name_ , Renly thinks. He nods slowly at his brother:

"Thank you… I would like to be alone, now…"

Stannis nods, and walks back to the door. He has come to tell his brother about the importance of having a child, an heir, but he guesses it is useless, now. Very decorously, he simply turns to Renly, with his hand on the handle of the door:

"Does Loras know?"

Renly looks at him, not even surprised, and shakes his head slowly.

"Tell him", Stannis says before leaving.


	66. Chapter 66

_Riverrun, 302 AC_

Aylis is staring at her husband, her hands nervously palming each other's. Her brown hair beautifully plaited is falling on her chest, which raises faster with each words that comes out of Stannis's mouth.

When he has arrived, just a few hours ago, she has been happier than in months. He has met their children, and has hugged his other children. Aylis knows he is not going to stay long. Thus, she wants to enjoy each second by his side. After Edmure has greeted them all, the men have been fed, and then have rest. The night has quickly come and she has out the children to bed. This is when Stannis has taken her hand, and has said he needs to talk to her. She has led him to her chamber, still the chamber of her childhood. Edmure has thought their father's chambers would better suit a king and a queen, but Aylis has refused. This is in this room she has written to Stannis so many times, in these sheets she has given him her most precious gift.

Tears come to her eyes, but it is not because of the souvenirs. Stannis has just told her he needed to sleep with Melisandre. Aylis has always felt weird around her: intrigued by her mysterious nature, jealous of her beauty, and grateful of her loyalty to Stannis. But, it is easy to be loyal to the winning side. Would she still follow him if he wouldn't have taken Kings Landing? Would she die for him like, Aylis is sure of this, Davos would do? The voice of Stannis vanishes in the air, and she knows he is waiting for her answer now. "Do you give your consent?". Does she really have a choice? Of course she does not want to see her husband sleeping with another woman, what kind of wife would want that? She looks at him, finally looking up from her tortured hands, red with how hard she squeezed them. Stannis holds his gaze at hers: he looks so tired, so sad and so unsure of his decision. Aylis knows it has to cost him as much as it costs her. She stands up slowly and, her legs shaking, she walks the few meters that separate them. Stannis sits up, never looking away from her. She places her hands on his shoulders, and whispers with a voice so different than hers, than she wonders if she really speaks the words:

"Do what is needed to save Westeros"

Stannis feels the weight of the anguish disappearing, immediately replaced by guilt. He looks down and Aylis hands move to the back of his head, stroking his short hair and pressing his head against her chest. After a moment, his arms embrace her too, and he closes his eyes, wishing this bloody war would be already over.

"Please..." she whispers. "Just not here..."

He nods again and whispers too:

"Thank you..."

"What for?..." she whispers again.

 _For being so supportive. For understanding my duty, and yours. For having been so patient with me. For having loved me since you have known the meaning of this word. For being the wife I do not deserve. For giving me the most perfect children ever. For being the ideal mother and the best queen._

He wishes he could tell her these words, but it is not him. Instead, he just hugs her tight, not answering her with sentences, but with gestures. His lips brush the skin of her cleavage. She takes a step backwards and he thinks she is not up for it, since the talk they just have had. But, instead, she stares at him, moving her dress away from her body, revealing her nudity. His gaze wanders on her body. After all these years, he is still appealed by her. He wonders if he will even stop being, one day. Before he knows it, he stands up, pins her on the bed and clumsily undresses. As he slides in her in a rough thrust, he whimpers, overwhelmed by the pleasure of making one again with her, "I have missed you, my queen". He repeats it, like a litany, when her nails scratch his back, when cries escape her mouth, when their bodies turn slick with sweat, when he locks eyes with her, as he feels her climax arousing, because he wants to see this light in her eyes, just like he knows she wants to see his too. His breath hard, he allows himself to moan, deeper and deeper, louder and louder, and he collapses on her as they come together, in a perfect union. Aylis's arms wrap around him tight, and Stannis closes his eyes a second, trying to catch his breath, and feeling a bit ashamed of what they have just done. He looks up at her to see if she is alright, but her eyes are closed, her mouth half opened, and he knows she has fallen asleep. He slowly pulls out from her warm body, and lies by her side, falls asleep in turn.

Stannis wakes up in the middle of the night, in a sweat, crying out after a nightmare. He needs a second to realise where he is, and to look at Aylis, scared he would wake her up. But she is still asleep, curled up on her side. Swallowing hard, he finds his breeches and puts them on before wandering through the sleeping castle. He walks towards the children's bedroom, his bare feet on the cold stones making him shiver violently. His hand leans on the handle and he enters: the children are all asleep, in different beds. He has disapproved this, but Aylis has not cared. To him, Aistan would be raised differently than his siblings. But his mother has been too scared of losing him. Hence, she wanted to keep him as close as possible. Stannis sighs a bit, but walks to every bed, stroking the soft black hair of each of his children, before stopping in front of the wooden cradle standing in the middle of the room. He stares at the little baby sleeping peacefully, frowning severely, examining each features. Her face is Aylis's, but she is strongly built and her skull is covered with dark hair. He hesitantly takes her hand in his, and her little fingers immediately wrap around his index, tight. He smiles a bit, feeling mixed emotions: the happiness and pride of being a father, of course, but, meanwhile, the sadness of having spent so much time away from them all, of having missed the delivery of his last child, her first months. He feels terribly bad, because he knows he will miss even more soon. He promises himself to come back from this war, from these battles, to finally enjoy the family life he deserves.


	67. Chapter 67

Chapter 67

On the road to the Wall, 303 AC

The new year has begun on this night, and the soldiers are celebrating, nevertheless. Stannis is observing them, from inside his tent, his arms crossed on his chest. He is still wearing his armour, even tho it has been long since the sun has set. He swallows hard when he hears the men laughing. They are still in the south, the weather is warm, but Stannis can feel it is not going to last. Their lives are not, either. He wonders how many of these young men will return in their home, how many will die suffering as hell, how many will have their heads cut off. He shivers violently as draught surprises him and grabs his cape around him tighter, before turning around. Melisandre has gotten in. She curtseys. He eyes the bed, feeling just as scared as for his first night with Aylis. The Red woman unties the belt that gird her robe and let the light piece of cloth fall at her feet, before stepping aside. Stannis stares at her, although he knows he should not, but he is still somehow marvelled at how the cold does not seem to have an effect on her. Her skin does not shiver, her nipples do not harden. She walks towards him, a smile roving on her lips. He closes his eyes as she touches him, running her hands under the fabric of his shirt, under the heavy armour. "My King..." She whispers, her lips closing on his skin, heat on cold. This is so wrong, he thinks, keeping his eyes closed, willing to see Aylis in his mind. But it is useless. Everything is so different: Aylis likes to huddle up against him to get warm, while Melisandre is the one warming him up. Slowly, the warm hands undo the armour, letting it fall, then undress Stannis completely. He stays still, unable to do whatsoever, paralysed by the guilt. This act is needed, it is needed because the Others are born from magic, and magic have to be used against him. It is needed because they are ice, and Melisandre and her weird God are fire. It is needed to save his soldiers, and his kingdom. But he hates all of this. He hates that he has to break his vow towards Aylis, the only woman he has ever loved.

"My King?" The soft voice of Melisandre calls out at him.

He looks at her, as if he just realises she is here.

"What?"

She nods slightly towards his feet and he looks down too: he is naked in front of her. He has not even felt her take his clothes off.

"You do not look... excited about this" she precises. He is limp. He cannot help feeling slightly humiliated. With Aylis, it has never happened.

"Sorry I am not used to cheat on my wife" he dryly says.

She lays her warm hands on his cheeks and her thumbs stroke him.

"You should not see things this way..."

"And how should I see things, then?!" He angrily shouts. "You tell me I have to do this. I do not want to do this!"

She does not move. She does not look afraid. She even smiles, slightly.

"I know you love the Queen. This is not about her, this is about your duty. Your duty requires sacrifice. You will still love her tomorrow, my King."

"Of course I will" he groans, and gasps as she wraps her hand around his sex, starting to rub it slowly. He tries to relax, to let pleasure settling in, but he cannot. Melisandre's lips run on his throat, her free hand stroking his chest, running down his stomach, her fingers playing with his hair. Stannis closes his eyes, swallowing hard and gasping again, louder, when her lips replace her hand. He feels relieved as his shaft grows hard and swollen, but he keeps his eyes closed. It is only when Melisandre stands up again, and lies on the bed, that he dares opening them. The lights of the flames cast shadows on her body. Her red hair contrasts with the white sheets, as a spot of blood on immaculate skin. She looks at him, smiles a bit, and he joins her. Let's get rid of it, he thinks. As he lays on her, he feels her thighs wrapping around his waist, holding him tight as if she wants him to be her prisoner. Aylis like doing that too, he thinks and turns his head on a side, staring at a flame, as he slides in her wet folds. He gasps, again: she is so warm, almost hot, turning him very uncomfortable. Already, sweat is form around his temples, and run from the back of his neck to the birth of his butt. He stares at the flames as he starts thrusting, already reaching her depth. With each of his movements, she cries out, and the flames grow and shrink, grow and shrink. He feels her hands on his hair, stroking it gently and he suddenly stops, pins her wrists on the sheets, and slams her body, as hard and as fast as he can. He wants it to be over, soon.

"Look at me, my king" Melisandre pleads. He gives her more pleasure than she could dream of. Aylis has been a good teacher. But he is still staring at an invisible point throughout the candles that are all around his tent. Is he trying to look for a sign from R'hllor? But no, it is not Stannis. He does not believe in any Gods, she even thinks he does not believe he is Azor Ahai. He uses her, as a sword in the darkness, as a fire against the long cold night. Melisandre does not mind: he can use her, as long as she can use him too. Her eyes roll over as his thrusts intensify again. The more she will take pleasure, the more strong he is, the more strong the shadow will be. She silently prays R'hllor, not to conceive the shadow, but to thank him for everything He has given to her. When she is done with her prayers, she whimpers the name of her King, as he gets her closer from the edge with each of his movements. Stannis feels her getting close, her walls getting hotter and hotter, their two bodies slipping against each other with the sweat that covers them. He cannot help the moan that escape her lips as hers part to cry out. He joins her soon in her climax, and let his seed flow in her, to give him the last weapon he needs to end this war. The pleasure, the act leave him exhausted and he collapses on Melisandre, but soon rolls off her and turns his back at her. She remains on her back, her heart beating, her hands brushing her slit, swollen with pleasure, a smile roving on her lips. Without a doubt, the shadow has been conceived now. The fires of Stannis are too high, too powerful. As she turns her head to him, she wonders how this shadow will look like. She is pretty sure it will be the deadliest that ever existed on this land. Her hand brushes Stannis shoulders, but he does not move, and she curls up, staring at the flame, and quickly drifting off to sleep. Stannis, well awake, does not feel like he should tell her to leave. He knows he needs to rest, and does not want to fight another battle tonight. Tired, he closes his eyes, sending all his thoughts towards his wife, back there in Riverrun.


	68. Chapter 68

To the Wall, 303 AC

Stannis wakes up with a start, after a terrible nightmare. He looks around him: it is still dark, but it must be not long before dawn. Rolling on his back, he takes a deep breath before turning his head on the pillow next to his. Melisandre has not stayed with him. He almost feels like he has just dreamt, and that nothing has happened. He hears some voices outside, and sits up in bed. He can see two pairs of feet standing by each other, one of them walking away, the other stopping by his tent.

"Your Grace?" Melisandre's voice calls out.

He lets himself fall back down on the sheets and sighs again:

"Come in…"

She obeys, holding a tray. As she passes the hessian, Stannis realizes all his men are ready, putting out the last fires. He pales and suddenly stands up:

"Why did you not wake me up?!"

"You needed to rest, after last night, my King" she quietly says.

Alas, it was not a dream. He closes his eyes tight, chasing away the images of the night, and he sees a plate held at him.

"Eat" Melisandre orders.

He glares at her, but nevertheless takes the meat and bites it furiously.

"Devan!" He bellows.

The young son of Ser Davos runs in, and bows, not without a glance towards Melisandre:

"Your Grace?"

"Prepare my armor. Quickly", Stannis spats.

The boy nods and does so, as Stannis covers himself. He glares at Melisandre again:

"You should have woken me up" he says, but it is towards Devan.

The boy glances at Melisandre, who smiles at him. She knows he has a crush about her. But she would never encourage him to lie to her King.

"L-Lady Melisandre forbade us to, Your Grace" he stammers afraid, and Stannis turns to Melisandre so bluntly he slams his shoulder in Devan's skull, who cries out. Stannis does not even look at him:

"Get out. Now!"

The squire runs away without further ado, and Stannis, in a stride, grabs Melisandre's dress.

"Who the hell do you think you are?" he hisses in her face. "You do not command my men, nor my squire, nor your Queen, nor anyone here. Do you hear me?!" he yells.

She stares at him, very calm, not even afraid:

"You do not realize the sacrifice R'hllor demands. It is normal, you do not know about my faith. Trust me, I was right to let you sleep. See how angry you are, my King. It is the fire in you that is finally unleashed."

Stannis does not let her go:

"I am angry because you have disrespected me, and overstepped your role. Now leave, and call back Devan", he says, brutally letting her dress go.

He would like to ask her if what they did last night even worked, but he is too mad at her for that now. Melisandre curtseys and walks out of the tent. Devan gets back in, and dresses the King up silently. Stannis looks down at him and notices a bit of blood on his hair:

"I am sorry Devan. You should see a maester. You are bleeding."

"I will be fine, your Grace."

Stannis looks at him, concentrated as always on his task. Devan is a good lad, he has always been. He does not really look like his father and Stannis guesses he takes more after Marya. It is a shame he is so poorly born: he would have been a good husband for Shireen, the King thinks. Now more than ever, he needs to think about his family. They are worth fighting for, all of them. He nods at Devan when the squire is done, and orders him to go see one of the maesters who accompany the army. This time, Devan nods, and leaves quickly. When Stannis walks out of his tent, the soldiers are all ready, and his tent is the only one standing on the field they have chosen to set up their base camp. They greet the King, and, once they are finally ready, Stannis gets on his horse and starts walking straight North, the whole army following him as one man. The army walks by some smallfolks, peasants taking care of their fields, children playing. Most of them stare at the Army without a word. Some cheer them, others would give them food and water. The news from the Night's Watch has been known by everyone in the realm now. The people of Westeros know it is maybe their chance to get rid of the Others forever, even if some are doubtful. After all, everybody thought the Others were extinct, a few years ago. Time is for unity, though, and the smallfolks understand that. Stannis tries to smile when a father holds his young child very high so he can see the King. Soon, the rumor about them coming reaches the towns faster than them. When they end up getting to these towns, the inhabitants have all formed a guard of honor. Stannis is astonished by that, and gets down from his horse, leading him with the reins. His men imitate him and a smile enlightens their faces as they shake hands, kiss children, nod at the men. Stannis suddenly stops walking, but let his men going on. When the last soldier has walked pass the town, and that the inhabitants gather in a circle to watch them leave, he gets back on his horse, turns to face them, his people, and, without even hiding his emotion, he whispers "Thank you", before bowing to them and galloping back to his army, taking its lead again. He can hear the soldiers talk about this welcome until they set the base camp again, and this is when he believes nothing could ever stop them now.

As they leave the camp again the following morning, they are suddenly stopped by a group of men standing ahead of them on the road. Immediately, soldiers gather around Stannis to protect him but Melisandre leads her horse ahead of them and turns to Stannis:

"They are faithful servitors of R'hllor, your Grace. They will not hurt us."

Stannis nods, and walks to the men, not without two soldiers by his side. He knows some of these men: Lord Beric Dondarrion, Thoros of Myr, the man who got in Pyke the first, with a flaming sword during the Greyjoy rebellion, and Sandor Clegane, Joffrey's Hound.

"What are you doing here?" He asks them.

"We were waiting for you, your Grace", Beric says.

"We heard that you were riding to the Wall, to fight the Others", Thoros smirks. "We would like to join, if you allow us to", he bows respectfully.

Stannis does not like the idea: those men belong to the Brotherhood without Banners, which, as the name says, is not faithful to any leaders in Westeros. He glances at Melisandre, who nods slightly.

"Why?" the King asks Thoros. "Why do you want to come with us?"

"We are fighting for Westeros, and we know Westeros will be lost if the Others win. If our sacrifice can help defeating them, we will give our lives gladly. They do not worth much" Thoros laughs.

Stannis frowns slightly and looks at them:

"How many are you?"

"A few hundreds, I wouldn't know exactly. Maybe a thousand", Thoros shrugs.

Stannis nods: a thousand men are great news. The more men he has, the more chances he has against the Others. He thinks about King's Landing for a moment, hoping everything is alright for his Hand. He would not know, none of them can send messages which could be intercepted by the enemy. He trusts Davos enough to not be too worried about the capital's fate.

"Join us then. But as soon as this war will be over, your Brotherhood must be dismissed. Lord Dondarrion has a woman to marry, if I remember well. You have nobles in your ranks who are supposed to rule lands. Their place is by their people", Stannis asserts and Beric looks at Thoros for a moment. The realm has been at peace since Stannis has taken the throne, and the Dothrakis are not people Westerosi want to see settle on their lands.

"As soon as the war is over", Beric nods, and calls out his other men, hiding in the bushes. The army marches again, towards Winterfell, where half of the Northern army is waiting to swell their ranks.


	69. Chapter 69

Winterfell, 303 AC

The King is welcomed by Lord Robb Stark and his young wife Margaery Tyrell, in the courtyard of Winterfell. Holding their son in her arms, the young Lady of Winterfell, round with child again, smiles warmly at the King and Melisandre. Robb bows in front of Stannis, and the King glances at him, then at the toddler: Ned is his name. He shares the blue eyes of his father, but has the dark hair of his mother. He cannot help thinking he is very cute, and feeling slightly guilty for having to take his father away from him. The North has sent forces down to King's landing, to protect the capital. Lord Bolton is leading them, having all of Robb's trust. Robb has decided to lead the forces against the Others, and Stannis knows that the fact that he will see his half brother there is not out of this decision of following him. Silently, he follows Robb as he leads him to his chambers: he is not in the mood for talks, he is already tired, and his men need to rest, to get on the battlefield with full strength. The Lady Melisandre has gone to Margaery as soon as they arrived, and Stannis takes the most of it to withdraw in his chambers to rest. The room is comfy, simple, just as Stannis likes it. He glances at the wooden desk against the wall, dying to write to Aylis, but knowing he cannot fulfill this wish. He sighs loudly, takes off his clothes and slips inside a warm bath ready for him. He leans against the wood of the tub, and allows himself to relax, closing his eyes.

He is woken up by cold, and, as he opens his eyes, he realizes it is dark outside. He rubs his eyes and looks around, gasping loudly when he sees Melisandre sitting on the edge of the tub:

"Damn you!" he growls, sitting up suddenly and placing his hands on his crotch. He hates when she does that, surprising him at the worst moment, sneaking in when he just wants to be alone. Melisandre looks at him, with a smile: she is used to his mood swings now, and she knows he would never lay a finger on her.

"I need to show you something" she whispers and stands up, unties her dress to reveal a pretty important bump. Stannis stares at it before looking away:

"When will it be ready?" he whispers.

"When you want him to be, my King", she says with her bewitching voice. He raises his look to rest it upon her. She is pretty, in her own way. Somehow, he wonders if they could have been together, if he had not known Aylis. But, still, he feels weird around her, he does not know what she really thinks, or feels towards him. She has been a faithful advisor until then, and he doubts she would leave him for Daenerys but, again, he cannot be sure. There are a few things he is sure about, and most of them are linked to Aylis.

"Dress up", he ends up saying harshly, and he grabs a towel by his side, stands up and quickly wraps it around his waist. Aylis has given him a liking into his body, and he has never been ashamed of showing it with her by his side. He also notices how Melisandre looks at him. She probably feels lonely, and Stannis suddenly turns to her:

"Are priestesses of R'hllor allowed to marry?"

Melisandre, her hand running up and down in the water, despite the cold, her long hair brushing the surface of the water, looks up at him surprised, and shakes her head with an half-smile.

"We are not, my King. Why? Do you think you could have married me to a Lord?" she laughs heartily, finding this simple idea ridiculous. Stannis seems upset, angry she would mock him.

"I just felt you might be lonely" he growls and dresses up in front of her, not minding her eyes to run over his body.

"I am never alone, Stannis. I have R'hllor, and I have you", she smiles flirty, and Stannis swallows hard.

"You should go to bed now, my lady. A long road awaits us until Castleblack", he nods at her and sits on his bed, ready to fall back asleep. Melisandre stands up from the tub, and reaches for the door with a few strides:

"Such a shame Princess Shireen is not here to see Lord Snow again", she sighs dramatically. Stannis frowns:

"What do you mean?"

"She likes him… You have never noticed?" She cannot help smirking.

"He is a bastard and a sworn brother of the Night's Watch" Stannis raises an eyebrow, not understanding how Shireen could like Jon indeed.

"The heart has its reasons which reason knows nothing of", Melisandre stares at him. He weirdly feels she is not only talking about Shireen here. Suddenly, she curtseys:

"Good night, my King", and leaves in a red shadow.

Stannis stares at the door for a few seconds, before dropping on the bed, staring at the ceiling. He whispers his wife's name, as if she could hear him, and his thoughts run to Shireen. Has he been that blind that he has never noticed she was infatuated with Jon Snow? There is nothing he can do about it: Jon is a bastard, he could never marry a princess. And he cannot break his vows either. But it is true; he needs to think about Shireen's marriage, soon. The girl is already thirteen, and she has already bled. Aistan is already promised to the daughter of Garlan Tyrell, Anthea. He will be King after his father, and thus his future needs to be settled in case Stannis dies. But Shireen, Shireen is his first daughter, and he cannot resolve himself to give her to any boy. Aylis had proposed the son of Davos, but Stannis has refused: for another daughter, maybe, but not his first one. Davos may be a knight, and a precious advisor, but his birth remains too low. The King curls up in bed, letting souvenirs from Shireen invading him, making him either smile or weep, and he falls asleep with the image of his smiling little child.


	70. Chapter 70

Castle Black, 303 AC

« Open the gates ! »

Stannis, with Robb by his side, is watching the heavy gates of the Night's Watch castle opening slowly. He glances at the young man by his side, who smiles slightly, happy to see Jon again. When they have left Winterfell, Margaery has wept, just like Aylis has, years ago, when Stannis has left to fight in the Greyjoys' rebellion. It has struck him, suddenly, that he had not that many peaceful years with Aylis. They have been married for fifteen years now, leaving in peace for, what, eight years only? Stannis is tired to fight, he has never liked it, never enjoyed it, but he cannot miss this battle, the most important battle he had to fight since he was born. His whole life has seemed to lead him here, in the coldest part of the realm, leaving his family behind, to fight an army of unnatural beings.

He spurs his horse to get in the courtyard, and the men of the Night's Watch cheer when they see him, with all this army. Standing among his men, Jon Snow, now the commander of the Night's Watch, smiles as Robb gets down from his horse to hug him tight.

"I told you: next time I'll see you, you'll be all in black. I didn't expect you to become the Lord Commander, though", he chuckles and ruffles Jon's hair as he used to do when they were children.

Jon does not answer, just hugging him tight as well, happy to see his brother again. Stannis has not gotten down from his horse, and is looking at them, puzzled between admiration for such a sweet brotherly love, and irritation, because they have to leave as quick as possible. Robb ends up breaking the hug, and turning to Stannis. Jon kneels immediately:

"Thank you for coming, your Grace. My men and I are at your disposal."

Stannis reaches for him:

"I should hope so. Which news do you have from beyond the Wall?"

Jon licks his lip nervously:

"We… I had to take a crucial decision, your Grace."

Getting off his horse, the King walks up to him and makes him rise again:

"Crucial decision?"

Jon nods:

"The Others have also attacked the Wildlings. I have decided to offer them protection and asylum."

Stannis stares at him, his teeth grinding furiously:

"You have offered protection and asylum to murderers?"

Jon glances at Robb, but his brother does not help him. As the commander, he has to take responsibilities for his acts.

"They have sworn to help us fighting the Others, your Grace. The Night's Watch is not numerous enough", Jon weakly protests, and Stannis's hand grasps his chin, making him looking around:

"I have thousands of men here, who joined me to help you save the Realm. What have you promised else? How did you even dare making promises to these people?"

Jon gasps and gives a desperate look to Robb:

"Your Grace, maybe we should discuss this privately…" the young man softly says, hurt to see his brother treated like this.

Stannis nods briefly, and releases his grip:

"I will show you your chambers", he whispers and walks in the Lord Commander's tower. Stannis immediately follows him, Robb walking by his side. Climbing up the stairs, Jon lets them getting in, inviting them to sit down and proposing them drinks. Robb asks for ale, Stannis for water. Jon stands in front of them:

"Your Grace, I know it may be difficult for you to understand but…"

"Which promises have you made, Lord Commander?" the King retorts, sipping water slowly, his eyes staring at Jon.

"The Free Folks…"

Stannis interrupts him again:

"You are talking like one of them…" he says, despising.

"When you live here, you learn that things are not as simple as you thought", Jon firmly says.

"You think?" the King smirks. "I think they are very simple indeed. Listen to the promise I give you: when I will return to King's Landing, when I will have destroyed this army of dead, I will send as many men as you will ask to hold the Wall. For now, if the Wildlings want to fight with us, let them do. I will not spit on more men. But, as soon as this battle is over, they cannot go south. They will remain North of the Wall, and I do not want arguments about this decision."

Jon stares at him and nods slightly:

"Very well, your Grace."

"Now, I guess you want to spend some time with your brother" he points the door with his finger and the two men know it is more an order than an invitation.

As they walk out, Jon turns to Robb:

"Still a charming man, our uncle"

Robb cannot hold back a smile:

"He is a good king, fair and smart. But, yes, his social skills are not very developed."

Jon chuckles, and looks at the men who have suddenly invaded his stronghold:

"Very impressive army…" he whispers before swallowing hard.

"Do you think we will be enough against the Others?" Robb turns to his brother.

"Which weapons do you have?" he asks back.

"Some Valyrian swords. Dragonglass weapons as well. Arrows, pikes, some men have even replaced the steel of their swords by dragonglass", Robb shakes his head, afflicted by the perspective of war.

He has helped his uncle against the Lannisters, but this battle is another story, with enemies not made of flesh and blood, but of ice. Robb aspires more than everything to go back home, see the birth of his child, and raise Eddard.

"Margaery is with child again", he smiles slightly, thinking about his lovely wife. Despite the fact that this wedding was an arrangement, the couple has, right from the start, gotten along well, and Robb is more than thankful for Stannis' choice.

Jon turns to him:

"Congratulations, brother", he smiles warmly. "I am going to see the King to propose him that I talk to his men about the Others. Maybe knowing more about them will help them, don't you think?"

Robb approves:

"Good idea"

Jon smiles again, and climbs down the wooden stairs, his brother smiling as he watches him leaving.

Stannis, as he is in the King's Tower, hears someone knocking on the door:

"Come in", he sighs, fearing it would be Melisandre.

But this is not a red dress that crosses the door: it is black boots, breeches, and coat. Stannis looks up and a smile enlightens his face:

"Donal!" he exclaims and stands up, reaching in a few strides the previous smith of Storm's End. He embraces him warmly, leaving Donal Noye surprised, but happy.

"My King", Donal greets him, not without emotion. He has seen the boy growing up, becoming a man during the siege. Stannis has been the one cutting his arm off when it has festered. Like Cressen, he has grown fond of the boy, not ignoring his flaws, but knowing his qualities.

"How have you been? Please, sit down", Stannis shows him a chair.

The old blacksmith obeys, sitting facing his master.

"It is good to see you again, your Grace."

Those words sound weird in his mouth, he who has always been used to call him "Lord". But he is proud of using them.

"Thank you", Stannis smiles slightly. "Same here, I can tell", he lets his look wander over the folded sleeve on his left side. "Are you well treated here?" he inquires.

"Aye, my King. We have good lads here. Some better than the others but yes, this is the place where I want to die. And you? How is the Queen and your family?"

"We have four children now. One I have never seen", he adds after a sad smile.

"And Renly?"

"My brother has joined Storm's End to defend it in case… the battle in King's Landing turns out badly for us."

Donal nods slowly:

"I am eager to know some peace at least", he sighs.

"You do not need to tell me", Stannis sighs as well.

His lips curl into a smile:

"Let's share memories together, would you?"

Stannis looks at him with a smile too:

"Gladly"

They meet before dinner, in the courtyard, as the common hall is too small to gather everyone. Jon stands on a wooden crate, so he is sure to be heard by everybody.

"First of all", he starts as Stannis watches him from a battlement, his Red Witch by his side. "My brothers and I want to thank all of you for coming here, and answering our call. I am sure a lot of you thought the Others did not exist, still a few years ago. I was like you, until I joined the Night's Watch. When you will see them, you can be paralyzed by fear. Nothing looks human on them. They are very tall, and their bodies have the color of milk. When they kill a man, they can bring him back as a wight. These ones are the easier to kill. The Others, however… they are very skilled with a sword, quick and gifted. Arrows are our best chance, or pikes and fire. During the battle, it is best to try to kill them first, and then taking care of the Wights."

A gasp makes Stannis' face turn, and he sees Melisandre laying a hand on her belly. As Jon keeps talking about the Others, now letting them know about giant spiders they are riding, Stannis whispers:

"Are you alright, my Lady?"

"I feel strange here…" Melisandre says softly, her face pale as snow. "I cannot explain it…"

"You should go rest in your chamber", Stannis advices her as he can see her belly moving under her robe but she shakes her head.

"I need to stay. I can be useful to you during the battle, if I have information about our enemy."

Knowing it would be useless to argue, Stannis nods slightly, and focuses back on Jon, not without glancing from time to time at Melisandre.

The night before they leave for beyond the Wall, it is obvious the Red Lady is not okay at all: she is sick, throwing up a lot. Stannis has no idea if it can be linked with her "pregnancy", or whatever she calls the fact that she carries in her womb a red shadow. Stannis spends time by her side, very worried about her. He may not love her, but losing her would be a blow, and he cannot imagine leaving to fight the Others without a priestess of fire. Thoros does not leave her side, either, but, when Stannis asks him what is going on, he is unable to answer.

When Stannis gets on his horse, the morning they have to leave, he is surprised to see Melisandre riding her chestnut mare. The witch is pale, but forces herself to smile at her King. As a signal, Stannis rides through Castle Black, heading towards North. Robb rides by Jon, and the Wildlings are the least of the army. They pass the door, but a loud neigh makes them stop. Melisandre has fallen on the ground, and her horse gallops back in the castle, shaking like a leaf. Thoros gets off his horse, and joins her quickly.

"I… I cannot go further", Melisandre whispers. "Something is repelling me from going with you", she tugs Thoros' clothes, and Stannis rides to her, worried.

Jon watches silently, remembering what the Wildlings have said of the North, the real North. The Wall was the last magic allowed there, and he has noticed how large the robe of the witch was. He feels sorry for his aunt, Aylis, but, somehow, thinks this is a sweet revenge that Stannis' proof of cheating is also preventing Melisandre to accompany her King. He sees Stannis chatting a short moment with Melisandre and then taking her in his arms to take her back in Castle Black.

Silently, the King gets back on his horse. His blood curdles, his stomach knotting painfully. The loss of Melisandre sounds like bad omen.


	71. Chapter 71

North of the Wall, 303 AC

The army marches slowly: a cold wind has risen since they have left Winterfell, and their progression is slower. The men suffer from frost, their hands and their feet hurting as if they would fell off their bodies. Soon, the men on horses, Stannis included, have to get down and lead their mounts through the howling wind. Most of the horses are terrified, not only by the weather, but also by the unfamiliar smell that spread through the landscape. A horse is a prey and their nervousness anger and scares the soldiers. The King limits the halts, knowing that most of the men who would stop walking would never rise again. But they need to fight, that is sure. He scrutinizes the landscape, not understanding why it is so silent. Where are the Others? He tries to talk to Jon about it, but Jon looks just as surprised as him. Thus, they keep walking, each one with his own motivations: the pleasure to fight, the will to go back home and see his wife and children again, or the thought that they will save Westeros. Stannis does not mind what lead their swords, as long as they are with him. His thoughts take him to Melisandre: none of the men have understood what has happened as they have walked past the gate of Castle Black. But, somehow, he still hopes she is alright, but he wonders what happened with their "baby". He is sure it is because of it Melisandre could not follow him to the battle.

The army wakes up after a night of rest, with a grey and heavy sky above their heads. The wind is still here, more violent than ever, and they get back to march, to find the Others. They end up reaching what Stannis thinks is a frozen lake first, but, indeed, it is just ground, surrounded by icy walls, not very high, but leaving just two tiny ways to get there. The wind stops as soon as the army steps on that ground. Stannis swallows hard and unsheathes his sword: he knows it is time. The whole army imitates him, and he shouts orders, placing his men. The soldiers shout, excited to know they will finally fight. Archers prepare their arrows, some made with dragon glass to weaken the Others, or foreseen for the Wights, with simple steel. The shouts, tho, disappear when the army of the Others walk to them. They are just as Jon has told them, beautiful yet terrifying, with big blue eyes. The Wights that go with them, tho, are something else. Some look human, some look awfully bad, arms missing, or half the face ripped apart. The horses of Stannis army get agitated, and Stannis's one even rear, scared of the smell that fills up his nostrils. The King stares at the Others, fascinated: hence, here are they, the Ones he was born to fight, if he believes Melisandre. He looks down at his side, seeing Lightbringer already shining, shining bright red. But, he is not born to fight them. He knows it now he faces them. He will fight them, because it is his duty as a King, but his fate was to rule Westeros. And it will be for Westeros he will fight. For Aylis, Shireen, Aistan, Doryos, Oswyn, and the child who is born, and who does not have a name yet. He glances at his army, checking they are ready, and, without a word, he just takes a step forward. He could lead the battle from behind, as he is accustomed to, but he feels his men need him, more than ever. The army follows him but sudden yells of battle make them all stop walking. Stannis turns to the path by which they got there and his eyes widen with surprise. The Dothrakis are there, on their horses, half naked. Robb, by Stannis's side, gasps slightly:

"What are they doing here?! Aren't they suppose to be in King's Landing?!"

The King does not answer, speechless. He does not have time to find his words. The Dothrakis attack, spurring their horses that swoop on the royal army like a furious stream.

"Archers!" Stannis shouts and the thousands of men bend their bows, and release so many arrows the sky darken above them. The noise they make as they run through the flesh, the human one, and the animal one, is deafening, as well as the shouts of the men injured, and the neighing of the horses agonizing. Stannis quickly divides his army, leading the one against the Others, leaving Robb and Edmure to lead the army against the Dothrakis. Jon watches his brother leaving, and yells:

"Cut their heads! All of them, even the dead! Or they will rise again!"

Robb shouts an approving "Aye!" and runs to the Dothrakis. He realizes soon they are not alone, Unsullied are behind them. The Dothrakis have been the sacrifice needed for the Unsullied to attack. The archers are divided, too, between the Dothrakis and the Wights, who now attack in turn. Stannis, with all the men who earn a Valyrian steel blade, attack the Wights, but to reach the others. These ones stay behind, observing the battle. The King wonders where Daenerys is, and scrutinizes the sky, looking for the dragons.

Aegon looks at his aunt, then at his soldiers: they are far less numerous than Stannis' army, but the trap they have foreseen has succeeded: instead of attacking King's Landing, they have headed North, and have made an alliance with the Others. An alliance they will break as soon as they will have destroy Stannis and his army, of course. The dragons they have mounted had remained South of the Wall: no matter how hard they tried, they could never get north with them, as if they were hurting an invisible wall. Once the Others are free to go South, once they will have killed every enemy, the dragons will be there to kill them all in turn. But now, Aegon is looking at his men fighting, noticing Jorah Mormont among them, and he glances at Ser Barristan, still by their side. Barristan turns to him, and says quietly:

"You should join them and show your men you are ready to fight, just like they do."

Aegon nods, kisses Daenerys, and joins his army. Daenerys stares at them, thrilled, excited by the sight of the battle, the men begging but dying under the Dothrakis arakhs and axes. No mercy, she had told them, even though she has known it is useless to precise it with the Dothrakis. She looks at the horses running away from the battle when their riders have been killed, and the arrows, more and more arrows, being released on the men. They will win, she thinks. Even if all the Dothrakis have to die, they will win. They have the Others with them, and the Others cannot be defeated. Her eyes leave the Dothrakis to stare at the Others and the Wights, slaughtered by Stannis and his men. She gasps very slightly when she sees Stannis fighting one of the Others, and she frowns slightly: she knows which can kill the Others, and she is surprised to see Stannis fighting, while she knows he has no Valyrian steel sword. But, while he distracts the Other, Jon gets behind him and beheads the creature, which vanishes right away. Daenerys half smiles, amused by all of this. The dead bodies are so numerous they hide the white snow of the soil, which has turned red with blood, and black with the bodies. Jon Snow kills another Other, but Randyll tarly, Renly's father-in-law, is killed by Wights that rush on him. His shouts as he is almost eaten alive are awful for common ears, but not for Daenerys. She enjoys the shouts. She enjoys death.

In the middle of the battle, Stannis grabs Heartsbane, the sword of the Tarlys, and helps Jon to fight another creature. The wights have suffered severe losses, but Stannis has the terrible feeling the battle is lost. He will not surrender, he will fight to the end, to his end, but, as his tired arms still hold the sword and crash it on each creature that attacks him, he thinks about his wife whom he'll never see again, and this child who will never remember him. How long will they survive, if Stannis dies? Not long, he fears. With a desperate energy, he keeps fighting while around him, all his men seem to die. One of the wildlings is killed by a spear and, as he falls back, Stannis stumbles and falls too. He immediately grabs the corpse and places it on him, as the Wights rush on him and start eating the poor wildling. Stannis knows this is the end: the teeth of the Wights are getting closer and closer from him. He manages to grab his daggers and to stab the Wights on multiple times, but there are a lot of them, and he cannot fight them all. Desperate, he is ready to give up when he hears a familiar sound. The whole armies, enemies and allies, stop fighting when they hear this sound. A deafening sound, that makes Daenerys flinch as she stares at the battle from a crest. Facing her, thousands and thousands of men, from all the Houses of Westeros, blowing horns at the same time. She does not understand. Who are they? Where were they when their brothers were being slaughtered? She hears Barristan whispering her name and she raises her hand angrily:

"Not now, Ser Barristan", she spats coldly.

"I am sorry", he says in a strange voice and she turns to him. He is staring at her, and suddenly shoves his sword in her belly. She shrieks, and weirdly holds onto him, not understanding, again, why he has done that. She gives him an inquiring look, surprised mixed with disappointment, and Barristan holds her, tears running on his cheeks.

"I couldn't let you become like your father…" he whispers and Daenerys hiccoughs, as if she wanted to say something, and suddenly remains silent, her eyes staring at Barristan. He lets her fall on the ground, and weeps.

On the facing crest, Davos and Renly are side by side, Davos giving the order to attack. Renly looks for his brother on the battlefield, but does not find him, and spurs his horse to lead the men. They hurtle down the path, spurring their horses again and again, slamming into the Wights that stand there, not fast enough to escape the fury of horses charging. Thousands of horses, and archers remaining on the crest, soon surrounding the battlefield, and endlessly throwing arrows at the Wights, the Dothrakis and the Unsullied to kill the last of them. Barristan watches this, he watches Aegon fighting the previous King, Joffrey, who now belongs to the Night's Watch, and killing him. He sees Jamie Lannister, the man he has served with for so many years, rushing on Aegon and beheading him as easily as if he was a piece of bread. The old man closes his eyes a moment, and sighs: which choice did he have? None. It has been a while since he has noticed the first signs of Daenerys' madness. He could not have saved her father, but her, yes. And nothing can save them from madness except death. Barristan has remembered his real ruler was Westeros, and imagining the country destroyed by Dothrakis and the Others has been too much for him to stand. So he has written in secret to Ser Davos, knowing that Stannis army was marching North, and that his Hand would have stayed in King's Landing. He has told him everything about Daenerys' plan, and has been lucky, or cautious enough to not be discovered. He strokes his long white beard, and strokes the pommel of his sword. _One last time_ , he thought. _One last fight. For the only one I should ever fight for. For Westeros_. He unsheathed his sword, and, with a smile on his lips, joined the fight.


	72. Chapter 72

North of the Wall, 303 AC

Stannis watches the horses crashing the Wights, the blazons of the different houses of Westeros mixed all together. Lannisters, Baratheons, Tyrells, Tullys, everyone fights together against the great evil. Soon, the last Others who remained away from the battle get into the fight, to try and save their army. Stannis stands still and starts fighting one, the one who seems to be their leader, but a sudden movement of the enemy makes him fall on the ground and the Other buries his sword in Stannis' thigh. The King yells with pain, but manages nevertheless to keep fighting. His wrist is weak now, he is so tired of fighting, but, with a desperate strength, he cuts the Other's arm that was about to give him the mortal blow. The creature does not even yell, he just stares at Stannis hatefully, and, as he is about to attack him again, despite the loss of his arm, Jon behead him with a single movement.

Stannis leans his head on the snow, and turns his head to the battle, breathing painfully. He sees his men destroying the Wights, he sees Jamie, Jon, and some men with dragonglass fighting the Others who are still alive. He watches one of them disappearing after having been pierced with dozens of arrows. Could they indeed win this fight? He does not really know. He closes his eyes, and, when he opens them again, he is laid on a shield, and men are lifting him up to take him somewhere safe. He can hear the men first cheering. Does it mean they have won? He feels the mutilated hand of Davos on his own hand, and he turns his face to him: the smuggler is covered with blood, but does not look injured himself. After the victory cheers, come the weeping yells. Stannis tries to look around, as much as he can: he sees Robb Stark kneeling on the ground, holding a lifeless Jon in his arms, swaying and crying like a little child. He hears Loras' voice, or rather Loras' voice yelling as he runs to the body of Renly, still holding his sword, but his eyes staring blankly at the sky. My brother, Stannis thinks and tries to sit up, but Davos' hand firmly holds him down. He sees Sandor Clegane picking dead Wildlings and men from the Brotherhood Without Banners. He sees the burning sword of Thoros of Myr laying on the white snow, by its lifeless master. So many deaths, so many fathers, brothers, sons who will not see their home back. And now, even he finds himself alone, no more parents, and no more brothers. He cannot help thinking it is his fault. He should have foreseen what Daenerys wanted to do. And now, they need to take care of the dragons. He stares at the shining sun above his head, and closes his eyes, just to rest a little.

When he wakes up, he is in a comfy bed. He does not wear his armor anymore, and his wound has been cleaned up and stitched. How long has he slept? He wonders as he tries to sit up and try the solidity of his injured leg. He stumbles and falls as soon as he places his foot on the ground. The noise of his fall makes Davos come in:

"My King!" he rushes on him and helps him sitting back on the bed.

Stannis clutches on him:

"The dragons! We need to take care of the dragons! Where is Ser Barristan? Where is Loras? And Robb?! The ballistas!"

"Your Grace, please, calm down" Davos does softly. "You have been very badly injured. You fell into a coma and… as your Hand, I had to take decisions. The dragons are dead, your Grace. When we have won the battle, I took Barristan and he led us to the dragons. They tried to fight back, but our ballistas have been very efficient. It is over, your Grace. They are dead, the three of them. We have cut their heads to show them to the people when we will sail back to King's Landing."

Stannis looks up at him:

"Where is Barristan now?"

Davos looks back at him:

"I thought it would be you to decide his fate. I heard he wanted to join the Night's Watch, if you are willing to allow him to. If I could have warned you… but I could not. I was too scared someone would intercept the message."

"Tell me everything about this", Stannis wearily says and lies back down, exhausted by his few movements.

Davos sits by him:

"We have received the message just after your departure. Too late already, though. Barristan was telling us that Daenerys had foreseen an alliance with the Others to destroy your army. She has never planned to attack King's Landing. She would let the Others destroy us and then, with her dragons and her own army, she would have destroyed the Others, before taking King's Landing without any resistance. This is why I decided to join you: with our numbers, I was sure we could have won. And we did, your Grace. It is over. No one is threatening us, now. We can go home."

Stannis grinds his teeth a bit: this young Targaryen has been cleverer than what he thought. But she is dead, and he is alive.

"Where are we?" he suddenly asks, realizing he does not even know.

"Castle Black, my King", Davos says as if it was obvious. "The Lord Commander is dead…"

Stannis nods slightly, remembering this awful image of Robb holding his dead brother in his arms.

"I know…"

He suddenly looks up at Davos:

"Lady Melisandre? How is she? What happened?!"

Davos hesitates and Stannis grabs his collar violently:

"Tell me!"

The knight startles and looks at his King:

"Do you feel up to walk?" he asks and Stannis briefly nods.

"I need a support", he grabs Davos' shoulder and stifles a yell of pain as he leans on his injured leg. Davos takes him out of the room, and the cold wind feel like a slap into Stannis' face. Every man they pass by bows respectfully, and Stannis nods gratefully. The Hand of the King nods on a wooden door, and Melisandre's voice rings out:

"Come in…"

Thus, she is alive. Stannis holds back a relieved sigh, and lean on the handle of the door. When he gets in, he stifles again a yell, but this time of surprise. Melisandre is in her bed, wearing her usual red dress. She smiles softly at Stannis:

"My warrior", she says with ardour.

Stannis remains speechless and Davos whispers:

"I felt you needed to see it by yourself."

Against Melisandre's chest lies a baby. A real baby. Stannis feels like he is going to burst into tears: how will Aylis react to this? How can this even be? He gives the most confused look ever towards Melisandre:

"I have promised you a son, my King, and I am sorry I have failed you. I did not expect a real baby. You neither, from what I can see. I have no explanation, my King. I just know that, when the men have taken me back to the Night's Watch, I had to deliver on my own. It was very painful, and awfully long. I remained in labor while you were fighting. And I delivered at the exact same moment when the last Other died. At least, that is what I have understood, when Ser Davos came back and told me about the battle."

Her eyes shine with pride and happiness, but Stannis looks down: he has always despised Robert for conceiving bastards, and now, he is just like him.

"Do you want to see her?" Melisandre asks again, and Stannis just takes steps to the bed. The baby is peacefully asleep, snuggled against his mother. She is redhead, and a tiny nose. Stannis nods, as if he was inspecting something and satisfied with the result.

"I can go back to Asshai, if you do not want me at your service anymore" she takes Stannis' hand in hers. He slips it away, gently, and looks at her:

"I need my Master of Whisperer. What is her name?"

"I wanted your advice. But I have thought about Damaris."

The King nods:

"I like it…" he motions Davos to come and leans on him to stand up again. Without a word, he shows the door, and Davos gets him back to the Tower of the King.

Davos leaves to let Stannis rest again and, when the King asks for it, he brings Ser Barristan in the King's room. Stannis looks at him, sitting on a chair, rubbing his painful thigh:

"I need to thank you for your betrayal, Ser Barristan. A shame you did not realize it sooner, and did not join my forces when Robert died", he cannot help the sarcastic tone of his voice.

"I have made a mistake, your Grace, but I must admit I thought it was the good choice, back then. She was about to become as mad as her father, and I could not let it happen. I have always been a Targaryen loyalist, but I am a Westerosi before everything else. I had the chance to help saving my country, and I am glad I have. I understand you consider me as a traitor", he looks at the King.

"What you did was very brave, and I do not punish men for being brave. The Targaryens are all dead now, and your family is vassal of my own. I want you to serve me, as you served my brother, who did not deserve it."

Barristan looks surprised and glances at Davos:

"How can I serve you, your Grace? I am old now."

"I want you to be a military instructor: I have the project of forming an army, a real army, which will protect Westeros in case it needs it."

Barristan gapes:

"Protect Westeros? Against who?"

"Invaders. Others, if they have to reappear. Tyrants. Rebellions." Stannis states carefully. "Do you accept or not?" he says wearily. He is very tired by this day, and needs to rest.

"Can I think about it, your Grace, and let you know my decision when we will be in King's Landing?" Barristan asks.

Stannis nods slowly, too exhausted to argue, and dismisses him with a wave of his hand. When the old knight leaves, Davos helps his King getting in his bed, and he immediately drifts off to a dreamless sleep.


	73. Chapter 73

On the road to Riverrun, 303 AC

The journey back is just as exhausting as the first one. The men just want to get back home, and Stannis sees his army slowly dislocating: he leaves a weeping Robb in Winterfell, and going south, he also loses the men from the Vale of Arryn. He hopes he will never have to ask for their help again, and though thank them for their support. He is close now, so close from his family. His leg still hurts, and the maesters said it will go on hurting for the rest of his life. But he does not mind: all his thoughts are focused on his family, waiting for him in Riverrun.

When he can see the familiar towers, his heart jumps in his chest. He has never seen so much snow in the Riverlands but he guesses it is because of the Others. It will soon melt, he thinks as the galop of his horse makes snow splashing everywhere around him. He spurs his horse and soon, the whole army follows him. Edmure reaches for him, happy to join his homeland. The closest he gets to the castle, the hardest his heart hammers in his chest. And, suddenly, he sees them: Aylis, Shireen, Aistan, the twins. He sees Aylis sliding a bundle in Shireen's arms and running towards him. As soon as he can, he gets off his horse, stifling a yell as his leg hit hardly the ground. But he does not care about the pain. He manages to run too, run towards his wife, his life, his love. Their bodies crash violently against each other and their mouths immediately unite, in a passionate and long kiss. Stannis wraps his arms around Aylis and smiles down at her, stroking her face, her hair, as if he wanted to be sure it was her.

"You're back" she whispers.

"I promised" Stannis smiles and kisses her again. He looks up hearing a horse and notices Edmure has joined them:

"And am I not allowed such a warm welcome?" He says faking being upset. Aylis giggles and embraces her brother:

"I am so happy you are all safe"

Stannis loses his smile:

"Unfortunately, we are not all safe. We have lost many men..."

Aylis strokes his cheek comforting:

"I guess, but... it was for the greater good"

Stannis looks at him:

"Do you think it will comfort their wives and children?"

"N-no..." She stuttered embarrassed. It was as if he had preferred dying instead of them, but they knew the risks when they followed him up North. They fought for him, for Westeros, and for their own families. Edmure notices the awkwardness, and heads to the castle:

"Let's go back home. The men need to rest"

Stannis nods, and gets back on his horse, lifting Aylis up on it.

"I have to tell you something" he confesses as he pushes his horse to the castle.

"What is it?" She wraps her arms around his neck and lays soft kisses on his cheek.

"Lady Melisandre... She... has a child... my child..."

Aylis lips seem to freeze against his skin and she moves away to stare at him:

"How?..."

"The shadow she promised me never was born. She could not walk past the Wall. She delivered in Castle Black, while we were fighting the army of the Dead. She said the baby was born when the last Other was killed, and that, as there were no more threat, no more need for a killing shadow, it just turned out to be a normal baby..." he nibbles his lip embarrassed.

Aylis stays silent for a moment and suddenly asks:

"What is it?"

"A girl" Stannis nods.

"Good... and what do you plan about them?" She asks again.

Stannis frowns:

"I plan to legitimise her first. Then... she will live in King's Landing with her mother"

Aylis makes a face but does not say anything, simply nodding, not willing to make a fuss while he has just come back from the war.

For the first time in many weeks, men have a proper feast: the Riverrun have given many men to Stannis, and the laughs and the cheers ring out in the Great Room. Stannis has met his new child, and has decided to call her Celony. Aylis has seen Melisandre, but they haven't talked, and the red priestess has soon left for her room. While he is not very fond of feasts, he stays very late in the night this time, Aylis refusing to leave his side. She is so happy to have him back, her husband, her king. Since he has hugged her, desire has made her feel uncomfortable a great number of times, and she is impatient to be in bed with him. When Edmure has fallen asleep, the men still up, as well as Brynden, who has been the castillan of Riverrun while he was away, take him to bed, and Stannis and Aylis find themselves alone, on their chairs. Stannis drinks up his water and turns to Aylis. She stands up, but he grabs her hand and holds her back. She gives him a confused look, and he just slides his chair away from the table, patting slightly his thighs.

"Here...?" Aylis smirks.

As an answer, Stannis moves his hand under her dress, rolling the fabric up. She closes his eyes, enjoying it even if his hands are cold as ice. Stannis himself closes his eyes feeling how warm she is, and how hot she gets as his hand moves upper. They both gasp when his finger brushes her slit: she is so wet, and burning, he just wants to bury himself deep in her and die there. She moans his name as his finger slowly makes its way inside. Stannis pulls her closer from his chair, and, his free hand shaking with lust, he pulls her dress down to bare her breasts. Aylis' hand runs from his neck to his crotch as his tongue and lips brutalise her chest, his finger moving in and out. She leans on his head, laying kisses on his hair and tugging on his breeches. Stannis quickly moves his finger out, sucks it greedily, and slides his breeches down, revealing his hard shaft. Aylis stares at it a few seconds, and, in a swift movement, sits on his lap, impales herself on it. She cries out, not having know this for so long, and holds onto him, burying her face in his neck. Her knees on the wood of the chair, she moves her hips up and down, fast, and Stannis snogs her playfully, sucking on her tongue and her lower lip. He palms her naked breasts, bending over to taste her hard nipples. Aylis trembles ans cries out in ecstasy, overexcited. Stannis grand her thighs, stands up and pins her on the table in front of them. Tears shine in the queen's eyes, as the tongue of her husband mistreating her nipples, his cock throbbing hard and deep in her, his thumb making her clitoris rolling, all this send her already close to the edge. She cries his name out, ecstatic, as a violent climax overwhelms her. Stannis lifts her up again and she rests limp against him, while he manages to reach their bedroom, the bedroom where, so long ago, they have shared their first night together. He slams the door behind them, pins her against the door, and thrusts again, harder and faster than the first time, his breath shortened, sweat running down his spine and his skull. Aylis leans her head back, offering her neck, her whole body to his lips, so he can do with her as he pleases. He uses fingers, teeth, tongue, everything he has to pleasure her and, as she comes a second time, he has to bite her shoulder hard not to come too. But he wants to make this night unforgettable for her, and he wants to slide out, but a single contraction of her inner walls makes him come deep, and very much in her. Disappointed in himself, he groans frustrated, pulls out and kneels in front of her, grabs her dress and tears it in several shreds, making his queen cry out in surprise. She is naked underneath, and he pushes her on the bed, on which she falls with a new cry. A cry that turns into a whimper as Stannis turns her around, on all four, and buries his face between her legs to lick her dripping pussy. She moans her name, arching her back in an awfully inconvenient way, grabbing the sheets and clenching them with her fists. She starts moving her hips, swaying them, but an authoritative slap on her butt makes her stay still, after a new cry. Her king needs to be in control now, and, in the same time, to totally lose control. Aylis, her eyes closed, and opening only to roll over, leaves his tongue exploring each inch of her intimacy. Her lips are painfully dry as she can't close her mouth, too busy moaning and gasping. Suddenly, he closes his lips on her clit, bites it slightly, then keeps it in there and brutalise it with the tip of her tongue. Aylis tries to move away, way too sensitive in this area after the shag they just had, but Stannis holds her still, and her body trembles violently. "I... I... Gods, my King" she cries out and that just turns Stannis even more on, speeding up brutally. She comes so hard she escapes his embrace, and collapses on the sheets, her pussy pulsating painfully, her throat letting out deep moans. She has no time to recover: her husband has already gotten into her again, and is pinning her down with his hands, his cock rubbing and hitting her deepest point. She has no energy to protest, or resist, or even move. She just moans, louder with each thrust, her hard clit rubbed against the sheets with Stannis movements, getting both painful and ecstatic. Soon, pain disappears, and she tries to lean on her elbows but Stannis grabs the back of her neck and pins her down, unleashing himself. He moans too, deeper than her though, but expressing pleasure in the most extreme way. He feels his own climax building up again, and he makes sure she comes too. Her body gets hard under his, like petrified, and he closes his eyes, releasing his semen so hard and so deep in her it is painful, and his loud whimper is mixed with pain and ecstasy. Out of breath, he falls on her body, his head leaning on her burning back. He bites her skin as he releases the last drops of his cum, and totally lay on her, exhausted, drained, but happy. Aylis falls asleep almost immediately after she came, and Stannis has just time to roll off her before drifting off too.

The rest of the army leaves Riverrun a few days later: the Riverlands men stay home, and soon, the Reach, the Westerlands, and the Stormlands do the same. When they reach King's Landing, they more look like a squad than like an army. They walk in the capital, triumphant, acclaimed by its people, and Stannis genuinely enjoys this. He waves and smiles at his people, knowing that he can now totally focus on them, on his family, and on his realm.


	74. Chapter 74

King's Landing, 333 AC, thirty years after

The Queen is awakened by the rays of sunshine piercing through the windows and burning her naked skin. She groans a bit, and turns around, her hand looking for her husband's body. She opens her eyes as she feels the bare sheets, and turns her face to his spot, smiles: he is here, sitting on the edge of the bed, and she admires him, for a short moment. How handsome he still is, this husband. He has grown old, of course: his hair has turned from black as coal as salt and pepper, and the wrinkles have multiplied on his brow. But he is still hers and he turns to her with the same smile than when they have married, so long ago, as the tip of her fingers brush his soft skin. Aylis has turned old too: her hair has lot of white now, and her body is limper than before. But the love and the passion between them have never faded, and it is with the passion of youth that she crawls to him, wraps her arm around him and lays a long kiss on his cheek. Stannis smiles, and grabs the cane which does not leave the side of his bed: his injury during the Great War against the Others has never really healed, and he has limped ever since. He winces as he stands up: his legs are not as strong as before, and he grows tired easily now.

"Are you alright?" the worried voice of his wife rings out in the room.

He turns to her and sadly half-smiles:

"I am old..."

Getting dressed, he turns to her and bends over to kiss her before walking out of the room.

Their family have growned with two other children, born in times of peace: Hugon, in 308 AC, and Mathild, two years later. The sons of Aylis and Stannis have all been fostered in different part of the realm: Doryos in Winterfell, Oswyn in Highgarden, Hugon in Dorne. This is where he has met the one who has become his wife a few years ago, Morgana Martell, the daughter of Quentyn Martell. Shireen has never married, weeping Jon for the rest of her life. Aistan has married the daughter of Garlan Tyrell and Leonette Fossoway, called Anthea. Doryos has been united to Alynne Connington, and Oswyn to Janei Lannister, the daughter of Kevan, in an attempt from Stannis to build a lasting peace with those houses. To his great surprise, his daughter Celony has refused to marry unless it would be with Steffon Seaworth, the son of Davos. After numerous arguments, the King has had to agree with this marriage. And finally, Mathild has married Anderon Greyjoy, the son of Asha. They all have children now, and are happy. They do not need their parents anymore. Aistan is not the king yet, but Stannis gives him more and more power, leaving him in charge of a lot of things, as he enjoys a well deserved semi-retirement. The Queen is happy to finally being able to enjoy her husband's presence at her side, without fearing of seeing him leaving for another battle, or watching him work until exhaustion to rule the kingdom. The realm has been in peace, and prospers, but Stannis knows that it will go on like that with Aistan ruling after him. He has turned into a wise man, more careful and sweet than his father, looking like he has taken all the good sides of Baratheons and Tullys reunited.

Aylis leaves their bed too, and rings the bell so her maids help her dressing up. They soon arrive and they join Aistan in the Great Room to share a breakfast. Their eldest son smiles at them as they get in:

"Happy anniversary, dear parents" he embraces them both.

Aylis smiles huge at him then at Stannis: today is their forty fifth wedding anniversary. Aylis hardly realises she has lived so many happy years by her husband's side. After all, who would have bet on them, when Robert decided to betroth them together? No one, except her. Stannis smiles back at her, and kisses her brow gently, as he has always done. They sit, and enjoy this day together.

At night, Stannis goes to bed early, and Aylis enjoys a late stroll through the Red Keep. When she joins their bedchambers, Stannis is already asleep. She carefully joins him, and leans her head on his chest, as usual. She shrieks, suddenly, she howls, and she sits up, looking, staring at his husband's face: his heart has stopped beating. Incomprehensibly, she straddles him, grabs his shoulders, and shakes him to wake him up. When she ends up realising he will not wake up, she punches his chest, yelling his name, beseeching him to not leave her alone. The servants, and Aistan, storm in the room, the man staring at his dead father's body. He needs a second to come to his mother, and embrace her, weeping the death of the man they admire the most.

Aistan manages to convince his mother to take some rest, but she insists on staying by Stannis' side. He accepts, and gives her the comfiest armchair in the Red Keep, places a blanket over her body, and leaves her with her husband, after a last kiss. At dawn, it is him who comes wake her up and finds her curled up in the armchair, her eyes wide opened staring at Stannis, her hand holding his, but as dead as him. He lets out the exact same shriek than she did, only a few hours ago.

Aistan takes a deep breath as he gets in the Sept, his coat heavy on his shoulders, his wife's hand tenderly held. He looks at the noble forming a guard of honour around them, and smiles, and nods. He glanced at his children, waiting for him by the Septon. His eyes lock Anthea's, and he kneels with her by the Septon. As he lays the crown on his head, he has a thought for his father, and his mother, and closes his eyes a second, before rising and turning to the noblemen gathered here.

"Long live the King!" They cheer.


	75. Chapter 75 - The End

Hey guys!

Okay so no chapter here guys, but I felt bad finishing this fanfiction at 74 chapters, don't ask me why. It has been a long and pretty cool adventure with you, I really hope you enjoyed reading me as much as I enjoyed writing for you. A huge, huge thank you to all of my readers, to those who left reviews, if you are interested, I am gonna quickly start a crossover fanfiction between Red Dead Redemption 2 and GOT, Yeah I know it's weird: I am still hesitating between writing it in French or English, as French is my mother tongue and way easier for me so if you want to read it, PM me :) if you are French, I am also currently writing another fanfiction called "de glaces et d'ombres" still about Stannis cause he's my bae 3

Thank you all for your support, I hope I will hear about you guys, take care and have fun reading! Have a very happy Christmas and New Year!


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